Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero could be absent for four to six weeks due to knee ligament damage, manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed.

The prolific Argentina international, who has scored 19 goals for the champions this season, was injured in the opening minutes of City's 1-0 Barclays Premier League defeat of Everton on Saturday.

Speaking in Italy ahead of the Champions League game against Roma, Pellegrini offered the forecast on Aguero's likely recovery period, saying the striker had undergone a scan.

Pellegrini added, however, that he could not be exact with the timescale.

"His recovery will depend. But our team does not depend on one player," added the club''s manager, who is now hoping that captain Vincent Kompany and playmaker David Silva can be available for Wednesday's match.

Both players have been suffering with injuries of late, although the duo have travelled to Rome and have been named as part of the club’s provisional squad.

“Well Sergio — we know he is injured. He cannot play tomorrow. He will see how long he will be out, but I think it is more important for us to think about the players we have available for an important game against Roma.”

Pellegrini was then asked whether he was unclear about the duration Aguero would be out of action, to which he said: “We know, but it is difficult to know exactly how long he will be injured. It could be four, five or six weeks. It depends a lot on the way he recovers.”