Brazil boss Dunga has new dig at Man City over Robinho

Brazil boss Dunga has taken another swipe at Manchester City by cheekily suggesting they have not been giving Robinho the best possible treatment.

Dunga claims he has kept the Samba star at Brazil's Middle Eastern training camp to "speed up his return to action" following his ankle injury.

Although he says he is unlikely to play Robinho in tonight's friendly against Oman, his comments will only further irritate Hughes and City.

Hughes has gone out of his way to build bridges with Brazil - and Argentina - and dispatched club doctor Jamie Butler to Doha last week with Robinho to explain his rehabilitation to them.

Dunga seems unimpressed by Butler's report and suggested that Robinho has been better off spending these last few days with Brazil rather than with the Blues.

He said: "Primarily, we brought Robinho only for him to recover and to speed up his return to action."

Dunga had already angered Hughes by hanging on to Robinho when the Welshman had wanted him to return with Butler to City's training camp in Abu Dhabi.

City flew back to Britain on Saturday without Robinho and Hughes has tried to smooth over the cracks in his relationship with Brazil by claiming their British record signing remained with his permission.

Dunga, who claimed last week that Brazil should be treated with respect, insists he is not picking a fight with City and that he is merely acting within FIFA's rules on the call-up of players.

"I didn't declare war on any European club," said the 1994 World Cup winner.

"People have said Brazil need to be more organised, so that's exactly what we have done."

Robinho, 25, was already facing clear-the-air talks with Hughes when he finally gets back to Britain and he has not endeared himself to City by appearing to back up Dunga's claims over his medical treatment.

The former Real Madrid star, who has not kicked a ball for City in nearly three months since suffering a stress fracture on international duty, claims he wanted to stay with Brazil to be with club doctor Jose Luis Runca.

He feels his fitness has improved and he has been able to complete full training sessions with his international team-mates.

"I came here to look after myself, to be with Runca," said Robinho.

Robinho will not return to Carrington until Wednesday at the earliest making him doubtful for Saturday's lunchtime clash with Liverpool.

To add to Hughes' problems on the left, Martin Petrov is out for at least a fortnight after picking up a knee injury with Bulgaria.

Petrov, 30, suffered a slight sprain of the inner ligament in his left knee during training and has returned to Carrington for treatment.

The winger has been on fire for City in recent weeks, scoring three times to be named the fans' player of the month for October.