Tevez 'too depressed to return to City'

The Carlos Tevez saga has descended into farce amid claims the AWOL striker is refusing to return to Manchester City because he is depressed.

Friends of Tevez in Argentina say he has been given a doctor’s certificate and is not in a fit state to fly back from his homeland.

But, in England, Tevez’s camp would not address the allegations, while City were also giving away little amid reports that they are trying to thrash out a compromise.

Tevez’s representatives in the UK are still not offering any date for the striker’s overdue return or any explanation as to why he is staying away.

But a statement said: “Over the weekend there have been a series of meetings and conference calls.

“Carlos is still in Argentina. However, both sides are kind of in agreement that they want a resolution as quickly and as smoothly as possible.

“Discussions will probably be on-going for the foreseeable future.”

And a Blues spokesman added: “Carlos Tevez remains in Argentina. This is an on-going matter and we will not be making further comment.”

The former City skipper was known to be unhappy at his banishment by manager Roberto Mancini to train with the reserves because of his Munich mutiny.

Tevez jetted to Argentina last Monday without his manager’s permission.

The £198,000-a-week star did not return for talks with City scheduled for Monday, although his camp stress that meeting was not a disciplinary hearing.

Tevez’s people also say City have not launched a fresh disciplinary case against him because of his no-show, despite consulting their lawyers when he failed to return as expected last Wednesday.

City do seem prepared to take a step back and leave any disciplinary action, and possible fresh fine, on the back-burner while they talk to Tevez’s advisors.

There is a new desire from both camps to resolve finally this saga, which has dragged on since Tevez defied Mancini’s request to warm up a second time against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena on September 27.

They want to take the venom out of the feud and perhaps pave the way for him to leave in January when the transfer window re-opens.

However, the player will have one less option come January after Tevez's former club Boca Juniors claimed they could not afford him .

Tevez, 27, was a hero at La Bombonera during a three-year spell, and president Jorge Amor Ameal revealed he has spoken to him in Buenos Aires.

He said Boca are behind him during his difficult time in his career, but added his wages made any move impossible.

“Carlos is deservedly a very important figure here,” he said. “But the wages that Carlos earns, and deservedly so, are extremely high and economically they are impossible.”