CARLOS Tevez may sue Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini for defamation of character, according to sources in the Argentine striker’s camp.
On Tuesday, City fined Tevez four weeks wages – about £1m – for what they say were five separate breaches of contract in a game against Bayern Munich.
In a letter, Tevez was told he would be charged with failing to warm up.
But a statement on City’s website said he had failed to fulfil his “obligation to participate”.
Tevez has been advised that Mancini’s post-match comments, where he said Tevez refused to play, could amount to defamation.
A City spokesman told BBC Sport they will not be commenting on the development but added that owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak are supporting Mancini unequivocally.
Tevez, who has 14 days to appeal to the club board against the charge, continues to assert that at no time during the Champions League match in Germany in September was he told he was to be brought on to play and he is understood to be considering his legal options.
He and his advisors believe that none of the five reasons given by City for upholding the charge of misconduct, which the club published on their website yesterday, are correct.
The breaches of contract cited by City, include “an obligation to participate in any matches in which the player is selected”.
City have decided not to extend the two-week suspension already served by Tevez.
The player, who has not played since the Carling Cup match against Birmingham on 21 September, is therefore theoretically now available for selection for City.
But a departure from Eastlands in January seems inevitable, with Tevez having trained alone since returning to the club after suspension.
Mancini is also unlikely to wish to unsettle a squad that is now five points clear at the top of the Premier League after thrashing city rivals Manchester United 6-1 on Sunday.
Tevez was signed by then City manager Mark Hughes in the summer of 2009 and has since scored 53 goals in 91 appearances.
In May, he captained the club to FA Cup triumph, with a 1-0 victory over Stoke in the final at Wembley, City’s first major trophy in 35 years.
However, he has also twice asked for a transfer away from Eastlands and looked set to get his wish before a proposed £40m move to Brazilian side Corinthians fell through.
He has made five appearances for City this season, but only two starts, and is yet to score.
City first-team coach David Platt meanwhile yesterday said Mancini is finding leaving players out as hard as picking his team.
Mancini has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal after a lavish spending spree which has made City serious title contenders.
Platt said: “He is driven by winning, he doesn’t prioritise so much.
“History has shown it is tough to win all four competitions but you compete in them because you have no guarantee to win them all.
“You go to compete in them and see where you are at the end of the season.
“Our squad is deeper in terms of quality. If we have got a clean bill of health, we are leaving people in the stand that should play.
“That is as hard a decision as putting 11 on the field at times.”
