The City coaching staff are now looking toward their youth setup and recent acquisitions to step up into the vacancy created by the skipper's looming exit. However, Lijnders warned that the transition would be difficult, noting that the absence of a player of Silva's calibre is felt immediately whenever he is missing from the starting lineup.
Reflecting on the necessity of a proper send-off for the club icon, Lijnders added: "And then you hope with our academy, with the young players we already bought, that they can make that step as well in the midfield positions. But if you see our young boys in the academy, they have to make that step and to grow. But the most important is that the seniors will stay for a long time, that they stay, that the core is there and around that you can move. But it will be hard, because as I said, in the game, when he's not playing, you will see how he's missed. And that's one game. Imagine a season? But every good story comes to an end. I hope he enjoys the last months, it is only six weeks, and he has a good farewell and he deserves all that attention as well."