By David Ornstein
**Manchester City will allow striker Carlos Tevez as much time off as he needs after his baby daughter was born prematurely, BBC Sport understands.**Tevez, 26, has missed City’s last three games after being granted compassionate leave to fly to Argentina where his daughter, Katie, is in intensive care.
Club officials have spoken to Tevez but do not know when he plans to return.
Roberto Mancini’s men face Stoke in the FA Cup on Wednesday and play Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday.
City manager Mancini hopes to have Tevez available for those matches but has not spoken to the Argentine, who has scored 19 goals since joining City from local rivals Manchester United last summer, since Wednesday.
The club do not know the player’s exact whereabouts because they are treating the matter as private and personal, so do not wish to bombard to him with telephone calls.
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“We are missing Tevez for his tenacious 100% in your face unnerving ability to make something happen out of nothing… I miss him”
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“I don’t know where Tevez is,” said Mancini after Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool dropped them to sixth place in the table. "I think he is in Argentina.
"It’s a big problem for us because we have an important week and we don’t have Tevez. For me it is no good. Carlos has been eight days at home and I don’t know if, while in Argentina, he has been working (on his fitness).
“I hope Carlos, within the next two days, can come back here because we need him. Maybe he is on the plane. He had some problems with his family but now it has been resolved and I hope he comes back. I need him.”
As well as missing Tevez, Mancini is also without suspended midfielder Patrick Vieira and injured winger Martin Petrov, while striker Roque Santa Cruz has a knee injury.
City have won only two of their last seven matches in all competitions and Sunday’s draw meant both they and Liverpool lost ground in the race for fourth spot, with Tottenham and Aston Villa both winning.
“Against Liverpool it is not easy to win the game, we tried but Liverpool are a good team,” added Mancini.
“At the end of the game the draw was the right result as we didn’t concede any chances to Liverpool and they did not concede any chances to us.”