As the rest of the Manchester City squad begin their 18-day break with a warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi, there is one notable absentee from Pep Guardiola’s travelling party.
David Silva, the scorer of both goals in a 2-0 win over Stoke on Monday, is more than 3,300 miles away, attending to some more important business.
The midfielder is back in Valencia, visiting his young son Mateo, who was born prematurely back in December.
David Silva is enjoying his best season at Manchester City despite his off-field problems
The Spanish midfielder scored twice as City beat Stoke 2-0 in the Premier League on Monday
It is a trauma that leaves the baby requiring constant medical attention. And one from which the Spaniard uses football to seek solace.
‘I think, when I play football, I forget everything. It’s good for me to play,’ Silva said after the victory over Stoke.
‘I know in my private life it is not a very happy moment. But my son is fighting, you know, and I am very happy because he is getting stronger, getting better, so it is OK.’
This is not the first time Silva has returned home since the birth of his son. He has been back to Valencia at least three times since Christmas.
Pep Guardiola made a point of saying the midfielder calls the shots on when he returns home
As a mark of the trust Silva has at the Etihad — and the high regard in which he is held — Guardiola has made a point of saying the midfielder calls the shots on when he returns home.
But even , the midfielder’s dedication to his craft is absolute. He trains alone at Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna, the home of his former club as he looks to continue what has been his finest season in England to date.
His second goal at Stoke was the Spaniard’s ninth of the season. Alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Co, Silva has helped Guardiola’s side dominate the Premier League and reach the last-eight of the Champions League.
Since joining City for £24million back in the summer of 2010, Silva has pulled the strings from all along the forward line, racking up an incredible 73 Premier League assists.
The Spanish midfielder joined City from Valencia for £24million back in the summer of 2010
Seven-and-a-half years on, Silva is the heartbeat of City’s side alongside Kevin De Bruyne
But, at 32, Silva has found a new home in the City set-up.
It is not uncommon for players to drop deeper as the miles on their clock rack up. Both Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney had to temper their all-action tendencies as father time began to catch up with him.
But under Guardiola, Silva’s move back down the pitch has seen him move to the forefront of their irrepressible style of play.
Deployed either side of Fernandinho in Guardiola’s preferred 4-3-3, the Spaniard and De Bruyne now form the fulcrum of City’s all-conquering side.
That is perhaps unsurprising, given they were the first two players to ‘get’ their new coach’s methods. It’s believed Guardiola required only minutes to convince Silva how City would play during his tenure.
It is a revolution that has seen Silva transformed into a goalscoring midfielder.
Guardiola is the first manager who has asked the 32-year-old to drive beyond City’s striker
Never before has the 32-year-old been so prolific in front of goal and never before Silva been asked to drive beyond the striker – as he did twice to seal City’s three points at the bet365 Stadium on Monday.
Despite his new position and newfound ambition in front of goal, however, Silva knows his place at City. As one of the club’s longest-serving players, the Spaniard has taken it upon himself to nurture the next generation.
He has taken young England starlet Phil Foden under his wing in training, explaining what’s required to flourish in this new City era.
Not that the old maestro is ready to pass on the baton quite yet. In November, he signed a one-year contract extension to remain at the Etihad until 2020.
The deal symbolised Silva’s importance to City. While the rest of the club’s old card — Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and Joe Hart — have faced uncertainty over their future under Guardiola, the Spaniard has remained the one constant during a period of perpetual change at the Etihad.
It’s not hard to see why. Just ask Stoke.