Manchester City 4 Porto 0: City make serene progress as peace appears to break out over Tevez

On Monday, Tevez said sorry for his conduct in recent months having returned to Manchester from his unauthorised three-month break in South America last week.

The 28-year-old striker had been in dispute with the club since he refused to warm up during last September’s infamous Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich.

Mancini did not respond to the apology until after last night’s Europa League victory over Porto but the path would now seem clear for Tevez to rejoin the first-team squad and he could play once match-fit.

Mancini said: “He has apologised, I do not have any problem.

“(Today) I will meet him before training and after he can start to work with us.

“I think he maybe needs two or three weeks to find good form and after, if he is okay, he will play, like the other players.”

Tevez was given his own fitness programme when he reported back to the club’s Carrington training base last Tuesday.

He has not yet met Mancini as the Italian flew to Portugal last Wednesday for the first leg against Porto and then gave the squad time off as City were not involved in the FA Cup.

Tevez also sparked further controversy just before he returned by claiming Mancini treated him “like a dog” in Munich. It seemed that may have inflamed the situation as Mancini said he would not speak about Tevez again for the rest of the season.

But the Italian had previously suggested Tevez could play again if he apologised and the former Manchester United player could now play a role in the title race.

City lead the Barclays Premier League by two points from champions United with 13 games remaining and Tevez’s availability now gives Mancini the option of the club’s leading scorer for the past two seasons.

A first-minute goal from Sergio Aguero set City on their way to sealing a 6-1 aggregate triumph against the Europa League holders, with late strikes from Edin Dzeko, David Silva and David Pizarro inflicting further damage at the Etihad.

Mancini continued: “We played a good game. Maybe 4-0 was too much but it was important we went into the second stage.

“Porto had lots of possession and it’s not easy to play against them.”

Captain Vincent Kompany added: “It was a great victory. I think the match showed how serious we are about this competition.

“Four-nil is a great result against the holders of the competition from last season.”