Mancini confesses Tevez's going AWOL could cost them Premier League title

London, Apr 27(ANI): Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has admitted if key striker Carlos Tevez hadn't gone on a self-imposed six month exile from the team, the club would have been in better position in the Premier League table.

Lauding other strikers for keeping them in the hunt for the title, Mancini said having Tevez could have made the difference.

"It's clear that with him, we would have had a better chance. But we were top of the league until March, which means the other strikers did well," The Sun quoted Mancini, as saying.

The Italian insisted his relationship with Tevez is back to normal after their row when the Argentinean striker refused to warm up as a sub at Bayern Munich in September. He also rejected the notion that the City board had forced him to bring Tevez back into the team.

"Yes, yes, we say hello with Carlos. I always had a good rapport with him. I didn't have a problem to forgive him. The board has never imposed anything on me. To play Tevez again was a logical choice, because he didn't leave in the January transfer window," Mancini said.

"He's a player of great quality, one of the best strikers in the world, and we thought he could help us. I have had a good attitude with him like with everyone else. It's not us who wanted him to go to Argentina in November," he added.

"I was very sorry with that situation. I found it strange. I don't know why all this happened," he said. (ANI)