Joe Hart 'couldn't care less' about Carlos Tevez future

Sir Alex Ferguson has just watched highlights of Carlos Tevez’s impact (Reuters)

Goalkeeper Joe Hart "couldn't care less" what Carlos Tevez does at the end of the season - just so long as the striker helps Manchester City secure Barclays Premier League title glory.

Even after Tevez returned from his unauthorised stay in Argentina, it seemed certain he would be leaving the Etihad Stadium in the summer.

However, ahead of Monday's magnificent Manchester derby triumph over United, Tevez declared his intention to remain at City.

The news has been welcomed by Blues boss Roberto Mancini, with the majority of supporters also forgiving Tevez for his woeful behaviour - triggered by that infamous refusal to warm up at Bayern Munich last September.

Hart is confident Tevez will ultimately reach an amicable arrangement with City.

However, with such a massive prize so close, the England keeper is simply not interested in what happens this summer.

"As long as Carlos is here for the next two games I couldn't care less what he does," he said.

"His future is for him and the club to decide, all I know is that he is really making a difference for us at the moment.

"The thing is, we are not outsiders looking in.

"We know what is going on. We know what he is going to do for us and we are very pleased with it."

Hart is expected to shrug off an ankle injury to play at Newcastle on Sunday - a game the whole championship battle seems to rest on.

Certainly there has been no extended celebration of the win over United that secured top spot on goal difference.

The task, underlined by Newcastle's win at Chelsea, is far from completed.

"The vibes in the dressing room are positive, but no-one is getting carried away," the 25-year-old said.

"It is the Premier League. We wouldn't expect it any other way.

"But we go there with confidence. We are definitely up there as one of the best sides in this league."

Having pulled back an eight-point deficit on United in the space of four games, City are on the brink of completing a memorable success.

Yet they may find their first championship since 1968 being written up as an example of United throwing it away rather than them actually winning it.

Such an assessment, Hart believes, would be grossly unfair.

"Sometimes you are up, sometimes you are down but we have been in a strong position for seven months," he said.

"We are not on a late surge. We have not been battling in fourth or fifth and all of a sudden come good.

"After Arsenal, we were strongly reminded that we were leading and then we supposedly cracked up.

"But we are back at the top when it matters. We have two big games to go. Hopefully we wrap up this league."

:: Sergio Aguero was last night named as the club's Etihad Player of the Year.

The Argentina striker, who has scored 29 goals so far in all competitions this season, was presented with the accolade at the club's end-of-season awards ceremony at the Etihad Stadium.

PA