Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero will miss Man City's clash with Stoke

Manchester City have suffered a new injury setback with the news Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero will miss this weekend's trip to Stoke.

Five other players will sit out the match, a list which includes Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and Samir Nasri.

That news is offset by the fact Joe Hart is fit and ready to return after missing the last couple of games with a hamstring problem.

Former Barcelona midfielder Toure has played 20 times for City this season, scoring goals against West Brom, Crystal Palace and Norwich.

Aguero, meanwhile, only returned to action recently after six weeks out injured but is still feeling pain in his heel.

Instead of risking him at the Britannia Stadium, manager Manuel Pellegrini will hold him back in hope he will be fit instead for Tuesday's Champions League tie at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Pellegrini hopes to welcome both Kompany and Zabaleta back into his playing pool in the next fortnight ahead of the busy festive period.

He admits Kompany in particular is missed by the team.

"He (Kompany) is a very important player for our team. We don't depend on him because we have other players who are doing well, but always the team is better with Kompany," he said.

"That's why he is so important to our team. I hope after he recovers from this injury he can have a normal season because the team of course needs him."

In the meantime, he does without them as well as Patrick Roberts and Eliaquim Malanga, the latter because of suspension.

With so many players missing, Pellegrini appreciates the importance of David Silva's role in the team.

He made his first start for City in two months against Hull in Tuesday's 4-1 Capital One Cup victory and should continue in the side against Stoke.

Pellegrini is happy to have him back and said: "We were very pleased because he is a very important player.

"I always said that this team does not depend on one or two players but we have had an average of six players injured each game this season.

"Without so many important players, we are now at the top of the table and we have qualified in both cup competitions.

"But, of course, this team plays better and in the style I like to play with Silva in the starting XI. He changes the way [City play] because everyone tries to link with him.

"He makes the tempo of the game and he has the most accurate passing in the last third in our team."