Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero could be absent for four to six weeks due to knee ligament damage, manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed.
The prolific Argentina international, who has scored 19 goals for the champions this season, was injured in the opening minutes of City's 1-0 Barclays Premier League defeat of Everton on Saturday.
Speaking in Itally ahead of the Champions League game against Roma, Pellegrini offered the forecast on Aguero's likely recovery period, saying the striker had undergone a scan.
Pellegrini added, however, that he could not be exact with the timescale.
When asked about the condition of Aguero, Pellegrini said in a press conference: "Well Sergio - we know he is injured. He cannot play tomorrow. He will see how long he will be out, but I think it is more important for us to think about the players we have available for an important game against Roma."
Pellegrini was then asked whether he was unclear about the duration Aguero would be out of action, to which he said: "We know, but it is difficult to know exactly how long he will be injured. It could be four, five or six weeks. It depends a lot on the way he recovers."
The injury therefore looks set to rule Aguero out until the new year.
As well as Wednesday's Champions League game at Roma, he would also miss fixtures against Leicester, Crystal Palace, West Brom and Burnley this month, the New Year's Day clash with Sunderland and an FA Cup third-round tie against Sheffield Wednesday.
Should he be ruled out for six weeks, the 26-year-old would also miss tough games against Everton and Arsenal in early January, but he could be back to face title rivals Chelsea on the last day of the month.
