Roberto Mancini: 'David Silva is tired'

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has suggested that Spanish winger David Silva is 'tired' as the end of the season approaches.

Silva, 26, was widely regarded as one of the best performers in the Premier League before Christmas, but he has since suffered a dip in form, something which Mancini has admitted is "normal".

"I don't know how many games David has played for us in the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Carling Cup, FA Cup plus internationals," Mancini told The Mirror.

"But it's normal that a player can arrive at a moment when he can't play 100%. This is normal, but I hope he can recover."

Silva has scored eight goals for City this season.