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City's Nasri out for 8 weeks

London - Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri expects to be out of action for "around eight weeks" following a knee injury suffered against Newcastle, he said on Monday.

The 26-year-old France international was carried from the field at St James' Park on a stretcher with his left leg in a brace during English Premiership leaders' City's 2-0 victory.

Afterwards City manager Manuel Pellegrini said Nasri had damaged his medial ligament, raising fears the player could be ruled out of France's squad for this year's World Cup finals in Brazil, which start in June.

However, Nasri -- who was due to undergo a scan on Monday -- told his Twitter followers: "Thank you everyone for your kind words and overwhelming support, I suppose its kind of good news that I will be out around 8 weeks."

Nasri was injured 15 minutes from time in a challenge with fellow Frenchman Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, that saw the defender booked.

Pellegrini though said Yanga-Mbiwas ought to have been sent off for the challenge.

"It's very serious. It was a very unfair kick and the player of Newcastle, it was directly a red card. I don't understand why he was not sent off," the Chilean said.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew insisted his player had merely been a "bit rash" and wished Nasri well.

"He made a point in his mind that he didn't want him to get away, and he was a bit rash in that challenge. He is not like that, though, and I hope Nasri is okay."

Nasri is now likely to miss France's friendly international against the Netherlands on March 5 while for City he seems set to be ruled out of their last 16 Champions League tie with Barcelona (February 18 and March 12) as well as several Premier League matches, including one against title-rivals Chelsea on February 3 and the Manchester derby on March 1.

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