Álvaro Negredo set for months on the sidelines with fractured metatarsal

Manchester City will be without their striker Álvaro Negredo for up to three months after the Spaniard fractured his metatarsal in a pre-season friendly victory over Hearts.

He revealed the news on Twitter, saying he was set for "a hard few months":

Quiero deciros que van a ser unos meses muy duros para mi, ya que sufro una rotura del 5º metatarsiano… http://t.co/S5kVV5Oeiv

— Álvaro Negredo 9 (@_AlvaroNegredo_) July 21, 2014

The news will be a blow for manager Manuel Pellegrini, who already has to deal with a squad of pretty injury-prone attackers. However, the Chilean coach was reportedly not averse to selling Negredo, who failed to impress in his first season in English football. Thanks to this injury, an imminent departure is now unlikely.

The 28-year-old scored only nine times in the Premier League for the Citizens last season, and gradually fell out of favour. His poor form ensured he missed out on a place in Vicente Del Bosque's World Cup squad.