City badly missed Tevez as their hopes of securing fourth spot suffered a blow in their drab stalemate with fellow Champions League hopefuls Liverpool.
Tevez was granted compassionate leave by City after his partner gave birth prematurely to the couple's second daughter back in Buenos Aires.
But having missed City's last three games, boss Mancini is losing patience with his star striker and has demanded he return to England immediately.
City face a huge week, with an FA Cup replay at Stoke on Wednesday followed by a trip to Premier League leaders Chelsea the following Saturday.
"Carlos is still in Argentina and this is a big, big problem for us because we have an important week coming up," said Mancini.
"We don't enough depth in our squad, so for me this situation is not good. Carlos went home eight days ago and I don't know what's happening.
"I have have ordered him to come back and I hope that in the next few days he can come back. I hope he is on the plane.
"He's had some problems with his family, but now they are resolved I hope he returns. I need him."
Sources close to Tevez said last night that he had made no travel plans to return and would remain in Argentina as long as his daughter, Katie, was still in intensive care.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez admitted the goalless draw gave neither team an advantage in the race for the final Champions League spot.
"It was a difficult game for both sides and we just had to try to keep going to the end," said Benitez.
"Both teams defended well, both were well organised. But this was not a good result for either side.
"It is not just ourselves and City going for fourth place. Tottenham and Aston Villa are also in there."
Manchester City have entered the race to sign Anderlecht striker Romel Lukaku.
City have been reported to be scouting the teenage sensation dubbed "the new Didier Drogba."
New Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is already looking at potential new recruits for the summer and it is thought that Lukaku is a top target.
However, if the Manchester club are to secure the players services they will have to beat rivals Chelsea to the players signature, who are also rumoured interested in the 16-year-old.
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is also in search of a new striker to help bolster his striker force and give him even more attacking options.
Lukaku’s performances have attracted interest from some of Europe’s top clubs, however, his representatives are keen for the wonderkid to stay at Anderlecht at least for another season.
Romel Lukaku has made just over 20 appearances for the Belgium club scoring 12 goals
Roberto Mancini finds it hard to forge long-term relationship at City
The Manchester City manager's honeymoon period is over to judge by the boos after their dour draw with Liverpool
In football it is known as the honeymoon period: that stretch of time when a new manager has been hired and everything starts to click. Roberto Mancini's began with four successive wins at Manchester City. He was emboldened enough at the time to say that his team could actually have a go at winning the title. And it even seemed as if he meant it.
The challenge is to maintain that level of performance but it is just as common for teams to regress and, for the second game running at the City of Manchester Stadium, there were boos at the final whistle – not long, sustained abuse but booing all the same. City have dropped to fifth, no longer in the final berth for a place in next season's Champions League qualifiers. The team look laboured and the fans are becoming anxious.
There is a strange vibe, as if they are suspicious of the man with the tailored overcoat and polished loafers on the touchline. Suddenly the stories are rife of players not being impressed with Mark Hughes's replacement. It is in danger of becoming the kind of honeymoon you might see on Watchdog, where a hurricane blows in, the suitcase goes missing at the airport and the hotel is infested with cockroaches.
That might seem unduly harsh when Mancini's men have just matched Liverpool in every department but that would be to assume that Rafael Benítez's team should be regarded as a yardstick for where City want to be and, on this evidence, the team from Anfield seem to have forgotten that their illustrious history and reputation almost make it mandatory for them to be a team that entertains. They had six players booked, incurring an automatic £25,000 fine from the Football Association, but the really shocking statistic is that they managed only one shot on target in the match.
Not that the home side outdid them on that front. Aside from an Emmanuel Adebayor effort, José Reina did not have to get mud on his knees. It was a horrible game, littered with stoppages, misplaced passes and arguments about the referee's decisions and very little about putting a foot on the ball and picking out the killer pass. Neither side had the wit to conjure up a single through-ball of penetration.
Mancini argued that his team had done well and, in fairness to the Italian, he could at least be encouraged that the defence looked a lot more robust with Vincent Kompany playing alongside Joleon Lescott. Kompany excelled after City's captain, Kolo Touré, was left on the bench, the official line being that he had hurt his knee in training on Saturday. Others would contest that it was time for him to be stood down anyway.
There are certainly not too many supporters who would argue for Touré to be restored for the FA Cup fifth-round replay against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Wednesday. But equally the fans have not embraced Mancini's team selections and tactics with the enthusiasm that might have been anticipated after that run of victories over the Christmas period. The argument is that he is too negative, sometimes playing three defensive midfielders, even though he could be seen imploring his side forward in the final exchanges.
Mancini has argued with Craig Bellamy and given up on the Brazilian Robinho. Carlos Tevez has exasperated him by not returning from compassionate leave in Argentina and Stephen Ireland has lost his focus and form, barely recognisable from the confident midfielder who was the club's player of the year last season. Mancini, one suspects, is learning that City's dressing room is filled with some complex and occasionally difficult personalities.
That is the same as at any big club, one could say. But what can be said for certain is that Mancini needs to inspire an improvement if they are to finish the season in the fourth position that would probably guarantee City's owners in Abu Dhabi do not dispatch him by remote control. Sheikh Mansour and his colleagues showed their ruthlessness with Hughes and it is generally accepted that Mancini's position will be considered at the end of the season. A clause was even written into his contract to say as much, which hardly represents a vote of confidence.
Afterwards Mancini was asked whether he was disappointed by the booing. "Booing?" he replied, not understanding the word. And the roomful of journalists booed. He did, at least, smile
TRANSFER BOLLOX
Premier League trio Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City are battling it out along with Spanish duo Real Madrid and Barcelona for Benfica winger Angel Di Maria. imscouting.com
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is targeting £3.5m Portsmouth defender Marc Wilson. Daily Mail
Manchester United are leading the race to sign QPR's highly rated 15-year-old midfielder Raheem Sterling. Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham are also interested in the player. Daily Mirror
West Bromwich Albion are tracking Hamilton midfielder James McArthur, with a view to making a £2m summer bid. Daily Mirror
Plymouth have joined the race for highly-rated Barnet winger Albert Adomah. Daily Mirror
WAG OF THE DAY
http://www.thespoiler.co.uk/index.php/2 ... przybylska
OTHER BOLLOX
Chelsea defender Ashley Cole is facing a £400,000 fine from the Blues after recent headlines concerning the 29-year-old's private life heaped further embarrassment on the club. The Times
Alternatively, Cole could be transfer listed by Chelsea following an investigation by the club. Owner Roman Abramovich is understood to be furious at the way Cole's alleged behaviour has damaged the reputation of the club. Daily Mail
AC Milan manager Leonardo offered to quit following the club's 3-2 home defeat by Manchester United in the Champions League last week.
Daily Mail
QPR expect to name Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock as their new manager this week. Former Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has been lined up to replace Warnock at Selhurst Park.
Daily Mirror
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney's younger brother John has landed a week-long trial at Derby.
Daily Mail
The Football Association has played down concerns over England's unfinished World Cup base in Rustenburg. England manager Fabio Capello and FA officials have flown over to inspect the £20m hotel and training complex before approving the site for use by the national squad this summer.
The Times
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce says that the next four home games will decide if they are to face a relegation scrap at the end of the season. The struggling Black Cats host Fulham, Bolton, Birmingham and Manchester City with a trip to Aston Villa in between.
The Sun
Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo is distraught about the catastrophic floods that have killed 32 people in his native Madeira and has pledged to help the devastated island.
Daily Mail
Hull manager Phil Brown says he was so angry with his side's 3-0 defeat at West Ham he cancelled a scheduled appearance on Sky's Goals on Sunday programme so he could read the riot act to his players.
The Sun
