Richards’ challenge
The 23-year-old now has the opportunity to impress another national team boss following this week’s departure of Fabio Capello, who had been overlooking him.
Richards has been behind Liverpool’s Glen Johnson and Kyle Walker of Tottenham in the England pecking order despite his fine form for the Premier League leaders.
Mancini has long trumpeted Richards’ potential but has warned the defender not to expect an immediate international recall — his last cap came in November 2010 — because he still has much to prove.
Mancini said: “Micah has everything to become a top full-back. I think he has improved a lot in the last year but he can still improve, he can do better.
“At this moment for the national team, probably Johnson or Walker are better.
“But I don’t want to say Micah can’t play for the national team — if he wants, Micah can play always.
“If one England manager has a choice of three — Johnson, Walker, Micah — one of these players stays out.
“Micah played for England with Capello but there are a lot of players in England and one manager can call only 20-22 for a European Championship.
“I think Micah can really be a top full-back but he needs to improve.”
City travel to Aston Villa tomorrow having got their title challenge back on track with victory over Fulham last weekend.
Mancini’s men endured a difficult January in which they lost to Sunderland and Everton and went out of both domestic cup competitions.
City have also encountered difficulties away from home, having won just one of their last six on the road in the league, but Mancini has played down any concerns.
“It is impossible to win away always, like we did at the start of the season,” said the Italian whose team, by contrast, have a 100% home league record.
“Away games are difficult, not only for us, for all the teams.
“But until now we are top — we have done better than the other teams, away and at home.
“There are some games you lose away that you deserve to lose, but I don’t think we deserved to lose any game away.
“Everton the same — 65% of ball possession with 15 shots for us against five or six for them. Chelsea was the same. “If you go away and deserve to lose 3-0, it is different, but never did any team deserve to beat us away.”
City could come up against three of their former players at Villa Park in Richard Dunne, Stephen Ireland and Shay Given, the last two of whom Mancini sold.
Mancini, however, does not believe the Irish trio’s past will be a big factor.
He said: “We are not playing Manchester City against Ireland, Given and Dunne — it is Aston Villa against Manchester City.
“Aston Villa are a good team, they have good players and if we want to win in Birmingham we must play a very good game.”
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