Mancini: Tevez loss won’t be an excuse
City’s former talisman and captain has not played since September after becoming embroiled in a dispute with the club.
City, currently three points clear at the top of the table, have largely prospered without him but injuries to Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko this month have occasionally left them light up front.
Should any more problems occur as the title race enters its final stages, Tevez might have provided a potent option but Mancini will not use his absence as an excuse for any shortcomings.
Mancini said: “We can’t think this. We have three strikers, we are on the top. We did very well until now and we want to continue to be like this.”
Tevez remains in Argentina ahead of a possible transfer this month.
The 27-year-old’s advisor has opened discussions with Paris Saint-Germain over a potential deal this week, while City’s negotiations with Inter Milan are ongoing.
AC Milan, the other club strongly linked with the player, pulled out of talks with City but there has been speculation they could renew their interest.
Whatever the eventual conclusion of the long-running saga over Tevez’s situation, Mancini wants it reached quickly.
When asked whether Tevez could return to City if a deal failed to materialise before the closure of the January transfer window, Mancini said: “This is impossible. Carlos doesn’t want to stay.
“It is important for him to start to play because he is a football player.
“It is now three months that he hasn’t played and this is not good for him.”
City have continued to pay Tevez his wages — reported to be in the region of £200,000 per week — throughout his absence.
Mancini said: “I don’t want to talk about this, it is a difficult situation.”
Mancini also has no regrets over the decision to let another striker in Emmanuel Adebayor leave the club on loan, despite admitting he is now a better player.
Adebayor, 27, has thrived at Tottenham after moving to White Hart Lane on a season-long deal following a disagreement with Mancini.
Mancini said: “I am happy for Manu because he is playing very well for Tottenham.
“I am happy also because he has improved. Any player can improve when you are 25-26 and I think Manu has improved in this year.
“But we have good strikers, we have scored a lot of goals until now and we have done well.”
Even so, Mancini concedes with the Tevez situation and other injuries, there have been times when having Adebayor at his disposal would have been helpful.
When asked if he might have liked to call upon the Togolese forward in those circumstances, Mancini said: “Probably, probably — but we didn’t know with Carlos what would happen in Munich.
“We had four strikers. I think with four strikers you can play one year.”
Mancini will not have to contend with Adebayor as Spurs visit the Etihad Stadium for an eagerly-anticipated encounter tomorrow.
The restrictions of the loan preclude the former Monaco man from facing his parent club in a game that could have big implications for the title race.
City could extend their lead over third-place Spurs, who have lost just three times all season, to eight points with victory.
Mancini said: “I think in this moment there are three clubs — City, [Manchester] United and Tottenham who can win the title.
“I think Tottenham are one of the best teams in the Barclays Premier League, like Arsenal, like Chelsea. They are a strong team.”
City thrashed Harry Redknapp’s side 5-1 last time the sides met in August.
But Mancini said: “We played five months ago. It was totally different, it was their second match.
“When you start the season anything can happen because maybe all the squad are not ready to play 100%. You maybe need four, five or six games to be confident.
“Now it is different and I think Tottenham are one of the best teams.”
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