West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce believes Cheikhou Kouyate is not at fault for David Silva's injuries.

The Senegal international felled Silva with an errant elbow in the Hammers' 2-0 loss at the Etihad Stadium which left the Manchester City midfielder with a suspected broken cheekbone and potential collarbone injuries.

Kouyate was booked for the challenge but Allardyce does not feel the former Anderlecht man had no intentions of hurting Silva.

"Accidental. It was pretty innocuous. I didn't think it was a foul," Allardyce said when asked about the incident.

"I've just had a look now because everybody is talking about it. Everybody thinks it is a more serious attack from Cheikhou than it was. It doesn't look deliberate at all to me."

When quizzed further as to whether or not he had spoken to Kouyate about it, Allardyce added: "No. Why would I talk to him?

"He has no idea, it has happened from behind him. He doesn't think he has done anything. You can see that reaction on the video on the laptop when you look at it."