Final chance for Tevez

Tevez: City skipper is nursing a hamstring injury

Roberto Mancini rates Carlos Tevez as 50-50 to make the FA Cup final, with time running out for the Argentine striker.

The Manchester City skipper was absent again on Saturday as the Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat away at Everton.

There had been some suggestion that Tevez could be involved at Goodison Park, with City desperate to give him game time ahead of a trip to Wembley next weekend.

However, he was not in attendance on Merseyside and now has just one more game in which to prove his fitness.

City are due to face fellow top-four hopefuls Tottenham on Tuesday and Mancini has hinted that Tevez must play some part in that fixture if he is to be considered for a final date with Stoke.

Talisman

The Italian is not convinced that the South American’s hamstring will stand up to a clash with Spurs, but he is hoping to be proved wrong.

He acknowledges that his captain faces a race against time to make the cup final, but insists he will give his talismanic frontman every opportunity to prove his fitness.

Following City’s defeat to Everton, Mancini said of Tevez: “He will need to train with the team and in the next days we will see if it is possible.

“If he can play 20 minutes somehow we can see if he can play or not. At the moment I think 50 per cent for the final.”