Manchester City have been dealt a massive blow ahead of their FA Cup semi-final with the news Carlos Tevez will be missing for the Wembley clash.
The Argentine striker has been a key piece of Roberto Mancini's plans for this season as they hunt for glory in the Premier League and cup competitions, but Tevez was hit by a hamstring problem during the defeat at Liverpool last time out. Without their key man, it's hard to say that City look like FA Cup best bets.
Mancini has confirmed the forward will be missing for around a month, ruling him out of the FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester United as City look to win their first piece of silverware for 35 years. Those looking to bet on FA Cup final action may not even see their name on the slips though.
"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."
Tevez has scored 22 goals in all competitions for City this season, more than double the man who is second in the side's scoring charts, Mario Balotelli.
In the absence of Tevez, the temperamental Italian striker seems set to be given the main striking duties, assisted by Edin Dzeko – who has scored two FA Cup goals since his arrival in January.
Indeed, Mancini has called on Balotelli to fill the void left by Tevez, not only at Wembley but also in the remaining Premier League games as City look to get into the Premier League top four.
The Italian manager claims Balotelli can score "important goals" and "could be the hero" at Wembley if he gets the goals to knock out United and secure City their place in the FA Cup final.
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