West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce has insisted that there was no malice from Cheikhou Kouyate in the incident that left David Silva hospitalised in today's defeat at Manchester City.

The Spaniard needed treatment for eight-and-a-half minutes after being caught by Kouyate's elbow shortly after the hour mark at Eastlands.

Silva was stretchered off wearing an oxygen mask, with City boss Manuel Pellegrini later revealing that he was undergoing tests to determine if he had suffered a broken cheek.

"It's accidental, it looked pretty innocuous to me I didn't even think it was a foul. I've just had a look now, it doesn't look deliberate at all to me," he told BBC Sport.

"[Kouyate] has no idea because it's happened from behind him, he doesn't even think that he's done anything."

An own goal from James Collins helped City into a first-half lead, before Sergio Aguero doubled the advantage on 36 minutes.