Soccer-Sociedad's Silva faces spell out with hamstring injury

La Liga leaders Real Sociedad have been dealt a blow with the confirmation that playmaker David Silva has injured his hamstring. Silva, who joined Sociedad in August after spending a trophy-laden decade with Manchester City, is ruled out of Thursday's Europa League trip to AZ Alkmaar and is a doubt for Sunday's La Liga game at home to Villarreal.

La Liga leaders Real Sociedad have been dealt a blow with the confirmation that playmaker David Silva has injured his hamstring. Silva, who has started his side's last eight games and helped them win six consecutive matches to go three points clear at the top of the Spanish standings, hurt his hamstring in Sunday's 1-0 win at Cadiz according to a club statement.

The statement said he has a grade one (mild) hamstring strain, without saying how long he would be out for. Silva, who joined Sociedad in August after spending a trophy-laden decade with Manchester City, is ruled out of Thursday's Europa League trip to AZ Alkmaar and is a doubt for Sunday's La Liga game at home to Villarreal.