Tevez misses latest deadline to return in row with City

London: Manchester City are holding "ongoing talks" with Carlos Tevez's representatives in an attempt to resolve the latest stand-off between club and player, following the 27-year-old's failure to meet Monday's deadline to return from his unauthorised trip to Buenos Aires.

Having been told, following his flight to South America on November 7, to return to City's Carrington training ground by Monday morning, Tevez's continued absence has further diminished any prospect of the player being restored to the first-team squad by manager Roberto Mancini in the wake of his acceptance of a two-week fine for five breaches of contract while a substitute against Bayern Munich on September 27.

The confirmation, however, that City, led by acting chief executive John MacBeath, and the Tevez camp have been discussing the player's future for the past three days underlines an appetite on both sides to end the divisive and damaging situation that has made the club's former captain an outcast at the Etihad Stadium.

"Over the weekend there have been a series of meetings and conference calls," a spokesman for the Tevez camp said. "Carlos is still in Argentina. However, both sides are in agreement that they want a resolution as quickly and as smoothly as possible. Discussions will probably be ongoing for the foreseeable future."

The talks are understood to revolve around the basic principle of Tevez returning to duty rather than an attempt to agree a contract cancellation or terms for his sale in January.

Personal crisis

Reports in Argentina yesterday claiming that the former Manchester United forward had sent a medical certificate to City stating he is unfit to return to England could not be confirmed by the club or Tevez's representatives.

Yet with Tevez claiming earlier this season that he suffered a "personal crisis this summer" and was "depressed", the sensitivity surrounding his reluctance to return to Manchester has been borne out by the refusal of his club and advisers to discuss the reasons for his decision to remain in Argentina.

Despite suggestions that Tevez would be fined three weeks' wages by City as punishment for his decision to fly home without permission, it is understood that the disciplinary hearing planned for yesterday was not arranged to impose a penalty, but to allow the player to explain the reasons for his absence.

— The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2011