Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is supporting Nigel de Jong following his tackle which broke Hatem Ben Arfa's leg. The Newcastle ace was left with a broken tibia and fibula after De Jong's challenge in the early exchanges of the Magpies' 2-1 defeat at Eastlands on Sunday.
The midfielder has since been dropped from the Dutch squad for the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Moldova and Sweden by coach Bert van Marwijk, who branded the challenge both 'wild' and 'unnecessary'.
And Eastlands boss Mancini has come out publically to back his under-fire player - who was not booked for the tackle at the time - in the face of intense media scrutiny.
The Italian told the club's official website: "I don't want to comment about Nigel not being called up by his national team as it is a matter for the Dutch Federation.
"However, as his club manager, I wish to say that whilst he is naturally competitive, Nigel is first and foremost a great player as well as being honest and loyal and I support him wholeheartedly.
"I also want to take this opportunity to wish Ben Arfa, who I rate very highly, a speedy recovery and I hope to see him back in action soon."
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