Filed under: Manchester City, Premier League, Football
Carlos Tevez will miss Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United with a hamstring problem that could keep him out for up to four weeks. More damagingly, the striker's lay-off could set the Eastlands club back a whole year.The Argentina striker limped off in the early stages of Monday's 3-0 defeat at Liverpool and manager Roberto Mancini admitted the City captain was a major doubt for Saturday's game.
After the injury was scanned, Mancini has now confirmed that Tevez will be out for at least three weeks and will definitely not be risked at Wembley.
"Tevez is not available for Saturday," Mancini said. "I think he will recover in three or four weeks. It is a big problem but we can't take any risks."
The striker had gone two months without a Premier League goal before the 5-0 thumping of Sunderland but his importance to City can not be over-stated, particularly in light of the other options available to Mancini.
In a game of such significance and build-up, can Mario Balotelli be trusted to fire City past United into the final?
Mancini's other option, Edin Dzeko has still not scored in the Premier League following his £27 million arrival from Wolfsbury in January.
The Bosnian is not suited to a 4-3-3 and is rarely even getting the ball in positions where he might get a shot off, let alone score.
Beyond that, with Emmanuel Adebayor, Craig Bellamy and Roque Santa Cruz out on loan, there is Jo...
Mancini added: "It's a big problem in this moment but we can't take any risk because after this we have six games in the league and, hopefully, a Cup final.
"My hope is that we have him back fit for the last couple of games in the league or the final.
"I don't yet know my starting XI. We have 48 hours still to decide.
"Every player knows this is an important match for the club. I trust all my players. We can reach the final if we play well and I'm sure every player, whoever I pick, will give 100% on Saturday.
"Whether Edin or Mario play... I don't know. They both have a chance."
Tevez has scored 19 of City's 50 league goals this season and, as Sporting Intelligence noted in March, City have not lost a match in any competition in which the former United man has scored in.
There could be concerns about Balotelli's temperament but Tevez has thrived against United despite the antipathy with his former club.
Even when he was half-fit on his first return at Old Trafford, he was a constant menace in City's narrow 4-3 loss and scored three goals over the two legs of the Carling Cup semi-final.
His work-rate allows Mancini to pack a team in behind and remain solid in the knowledge that, sooner or later, Tevez's class will tell.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/04/14/fa-cup-semi-final-carlos-tevez-injury/
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