Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has ordered Carlos Tevez back to England.

The Times says Mancini sympathises with Tévez, who has missed City's past three games after returning to Buenos Aires in the wake of the premature birth of his second daughter, but the Italian's frustration was obvious yesterday after a dismal 0-0 draw at home to Liverpool again underlined the club's growing dependence on their top goalscorer.

City hope that Tévez will be back in Manchester in the next 72 hours.

Mancini denied that the player has refused to return but there was said to be a flurry of missed phone calls between Kia Joorabchian, Tévez's representative, and Brian Marwood, City's football administrator, yesterday. No flights have been booked.