PSG captain Silva faces lengthy absence

Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva has said he expects to be sidelined for six weeks with the injury that forced him off during Sunday's Ligue 1 clash with Monaco. The Brazilian lasted just 16 minutes before having to come off in the game between the defending champions and the current Ligue 1 leaders that ended in a 1-1 draw. "I have not very good news, although I admit it could have been worse," Silva wrote in Portuguese on his Instagram account on Tuesday. "I have had tests and will be out for six weeks according to what the doctors said." Later, PSG coach Laurent Blanc confirmed that Silva had suffered damage to the muscle and tendons of his left thigh, although he did not confirm how long his captain would face on the sidelines. "Thiago has undergone tests that have confirmed a problem with the muscle and the tendons," he said. "So it is not just muscular and I think he will be out for a certain period. I am not a doctor, I can't be more precise." Silva suffered a similar injury last season which kept him out for almost two months between January and March. "He is an essential element of the squad, so it is a major blow," added Blanc, who was speaking on the eve of PSG's trip to Valenciennes in Ligue 1. Source: AFP