LONDON - Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has confirmed that striker Sergio Aguero will be sidelined for a few weeks after limping out of his side's 2-1 win at home to Chelsea on Saturday with a muscle injury.

Speaking to the press on Monday ahead of Manchester City's Champions League tie against Shakhtar Donetsk, Guardiola confirmed that Aguero won't have recovered in time for the Manchester derby against Manchester United on December 7 and could be out for longer.

City face a five-week spell that includes 10 games, including the busy Christmas holiday period.

"It's a lot of games but it's what it is. My advice to my players and myself is not to think too much. We have enough good players and the mentality will give us extra," said Guardiola about Aguero's absence.

He said the best thing was to "move forward," adding that "people don't care if you have injuries and you have to find solutions."

Guardiola was also asked about the possibility of losing his assistant coach, Mikel Arteta, who is among the favorites to take over at Arsenal if the under-fire Unai Emery is sacked.

"I would like him to stay with us. Manchester City has a person of incredible value to work here in the future. But professional desires are professional desires," he explained.

"I said after a few months together he would be a manager. He is already a manager - he behaves like a manager," he continued, adding that Arteta would "be a manager sooner or later. We are going to finish the season but in the future I don't know what is going to happen."