Agent does the talking as Tevez misses meeting

Manchester City believe Carlos Tevez is way off match fitness (PA)

Carlos Tevez failed to attend a meeting with Manchester City as ordered yesterday, choosing instead to remain in Argentina, but discussions have taken place in his absence between his advisers and the club.

The 27-year-old striker (right) had been asked to return by City after he flew home to visit his family last week, apparently without permission from his employers.

"Over the weekend there have been a series of meetings and conference calls," Tevez's representative said yesterday. "Carlos is still in Argentina, however, [and] both sides are kind of in agreement that they want a resolution as quickly and as smoothly as possible.

"Discussions will probably be ongoing for the foreseeable future."

It has been reported that the meeting with City officials formed part of a disciplinary process but Tevez's representatives say they were not aware that was the case.

They also rejected claims coming from South America which said the striker had obtained a medical certificate which excused his absence.

"The meeting that Carlos was asked to attend and subsequently didn't does not, from our view, form part of any ongoing disciplinary procedure," added Tevez's representative.

"From our side we are not aware of any disciplinary procedure being invoked by City."

City have declined to comment on the latest developments. Reports that Tevez had returned to Argentina began to emerge last Wednesday after he was pictured back in the country.

That was a day after it transpired that the striker would not be appealing against a club fine for misconduct, halved to two weeks' wages after intervention by the Professional Footballers' Association.

City had found Tevez guilty of refusing to take the field – one of five breaches of contract – at Bayern Munich on 27 September.