David Silva releases statement thanking fans for support after revealing that his son was born premature

The Manchester City midfielder's son has been born extremely premature.

David Silva has released a statement thanking fans for their continued support after revealing that his son, Mateo, was born extremely premature. The Spain international was absent from the City squad over Christmas as he spent time with his family and, although he returned to action for the victory over Watford on Tuesday night, he is expected to miss further upcoming games. In a statement released on Wednesday, Silva revealed that his newborn son was born extremely premature and is fighting day by day.

“I want to thank all of you for the love and good wishes received in the last few weeks. Special thanks to my teammates, the manager and all at the club for understanding my situation.  Also I want to share with you the birth of my son Mateo, who was born extremely preterm and is fighting day by day with the help of the medical team."

https://twitter.com/21LVA/status/948534711378415616 Following the Watford game, City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that Silva was expected to miss more action to tend to his family matters.

"Family is most important. You can see how essential David is to us but I don’t know how long he will be here. He is free to go [home] again if he needs to. It doesn’t matter if we get no points while he is away. Family is most important."

After returning to winning ways in the Premier League against Watford following a scoreless draw with Crystal Palace on New Year's Eve, City now turn their attention to the FA Cup, in which they host Burnley on Saturday in their third round tie.