Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini last night revealed his growing frustration with Carlos Tevez’s absence from the team.
Tevez has missed City’s last three games after flying to Buenos Aires following the premature birth of his second daughter, Katie. Mancini understands that the baby is no longer in a critical condition and that the mothe has been allowed to leave hospital. The Italian assumed that this would lead to Tevez returning to Manchester but, after Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Liverpool, he admitted he had still not been informed about when to expect him back.
“He is in Argentina and it’s a big problem because we have an important week,” the City manager said. “We don’t have any depth and, for me, it is not good. Carlos went eight days ago and I don’t even know [if he will be back for the game at Chelsea next Saturday]. I don’t know if, while he is in Argentina, he has been working [on his fitness]. I hope that Carlos comes back within two days. I have ordered him to come back and I hope in the next few days he can come back.”
The issue has not been helped by several missed telephone calls between Tevez’s adviser, Kia Joorabchian, and the club’s football administrator, Brian Marwood, but Mancini made could barely disguise disguise his frustration.
“He had some problems with his family and now it is resolved,” he said. “I need him back. I have a big problem at the moment. I have only Ade [Emmanuel Adebayor] in attack, [Craig] Bellamy worked with the team only in the last few days and Roque [Santa Cruz] is not good because he has a problem with his knee.”
