Manchester City playmaker David Silva has announced his son is “fighting day by day” after being born prematurely.

Silva missed four of City’s five games prior to Tuesday’s Premier League win over Watford for what the club said were personal reasons.

The Spaniard posted a message on Twitter on Wednesday, which said: “I want to thank all of you for the love and good wishes received in the last few weeks, special thanks to my team mates, 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.”