City play Tevez waiting game

Manchester City are sweating on the fitness of Argentine striker Carlos Tevez ahead of the big-spending club’s Premier League opener at Blackburn.

Tevez, plucked from Manchester United in the summer, has been struggling with a heel injury and has already been overlooked by Argentina coach Diego Maradona for the midweek friendly in Russia.

“I would like to think Carlos will play a part on Saturday although we will have to see how this week goes before we decide whether to start him or not,” said City boss Mark Hughes.

Tevez played just 25 minutes of Saturday’s 2-1 friendly win over Celtic, but Hughes was pleased with his new recruit’s impact during his brief cameo.

“He has been a bit frustrated because he has not been able to put any weight on the heel for the vast majority of pre-season and has been chomping at the bit to play.

“But he looked really sharp when he came on. And the reaction he got from the crowd was fantastic.

“He is going to do great things for us. His energy gives the team a trigger and a focus for when we want to press and engage people. He is going to be really important.”

Tevez said he was happy to be overlooked for international duty in Moscow.

“It was a decision taken by all of us,” Tevez told www.mcfc.co.uk.

“It is important to be fit for Saturday and I have only managed two training sessions so far.

“I need to be able to train all next week so I can produce a really good performance on Saturday.”