Reyna out with double injury

Claudio Reyna is likely to be sidelined for three weeks after suffering knee and ankle damage in Saturday’s defeat at Arsenal.

The USA skipper limped off 18 minutes from the end of Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat at Highbury after injuring both joints in one challenge.

Although the full extent of the damage has not yet been revealed, Blues boss Stuart Pearce does not expect Reyna to be available until the home encounter with Blackburn on November 19.

“Claudio has had a scan and it looks like it could be a few weeks,” Pearce told www.mcfc.co.uk

“We will get the full prognosis later this week but he is probably fortunate we took him off as soon as he did it rather than let him go back on.”

Reyna will definitely miss Monday’s visit of Aston Villa, although the City squad could be bolstered by the return of Ben Thatcher, and striking duo Robbie Fowler and Bradley Wright-Phillips, who are both pencilled in for a reserve-team outing against Stockport tomorrow.

Andy Cole and Nedum Onuoha, who missed the Arsenal defeat with thigh and groin injuries respectively, should also be available to face David O’Leary’s inconsistent side but Trevor Sinclair and Richard Dunne both remain sidelined.