Mancini in rallying call to City as Tevez is ruled out of Wembley duel

As expected, Tevez will miss the Wembley clash with Manchester United with the hamstring injury he suffered at Liverpool on Monday.

Mancini believes it could be a month before the South American is fully recovered, although that should at least mean he will figure in the last couple of games in City’s attempt to reach next season’s Champions League, in addition to the FA Cup final should they make it.

Yet the Blues boss views this as a minor inconvenience compared to the overall picture, in which a club that has won nothing in 35 years and suffered the humiliation of being relegated to English football’s third tier in 1998 bids to complete their ascent to the highest echelons of the game.

“All my players should understand very well this is a big moment for us,” said Mancini.

“We can change the history of the club.

“The first trophy is the hardest but it is time for Manchester City to win something.”

It is exactly the kind of rousing speech City’s fans need right now.

Living in the shadow of the men from Old Trafford, with Sheikh Mansour’s enormous investment from Abu Dhabi, there had been a growing feeling this was their time.

Yet the optimism was punctured in the space of 24 hours earlier this week when City suffered a three-goal hammering at Liverpool, during which Tevez limped off, followed one day later by United cruising past Chelsea to book a fourth Champions League semi-final appearance in five seasons.

“When you build a new team you can always lose matches, like we did against Liverpool,” said Mancini.

“It is the first time in a year that we played like that. And it was better to happen at Liverpool than on Saturday.

“I know we have improved a lot. The important thing is that we don’t go there and think about the enormity of the game. We cannot afford for our heads to get full with the occasion.”

More than anyone, that applies to Mario Balotelli.

So much has been said about the temperamental 20-year-old Italian during his debut season in England, most of which has been negative in recent times.

“I trust Mario,” insisted Mancini, who branded the 10-goal striker “stupid” following his dismissal against Dynamo Kiev last month and then substituted him at Anfield even though he had been the man who replaced Tevez just over an hour earlier. “He knows it is an important game for him. If his focus is on the game, he can do everything.”

Mancini does have options, with Edin Dzeko in contention on the basis he scored twice for Wolfsburg against United in last season’s Champions League even though he has yet to score in the Premier League since his £27m arrival from Germany.

City also have Micah Richards back from a hamstring injury.