Manchester City warn journalists over Carlos Tevez incident

Mancini was asked if this had been the hardest week of his managerial career (GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester City today tried to pull down the shutters on the Carlos Tevez incident by warning journalists not to ask manager Roberto Mancini about the issue.

Tevez has been suspended by the club pending an investigation into his apparent refusal to come off the bench during City's 2-0 defeat by Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Mancini appeared at his usual Friday press conference this morning but beforehand City's chief communications officer Victoria Kloss read out a statement in which she said the briefing would be suspended if Mancini was asked about Tevez.

Kloss said: "Questions in relation to Carlos Tevez in general, in relation to his alleged conduct on Tuesday evening and the potential ramifications of that conduct and in relation to his future at the football club is strictly off limits and will not be answered.

"Breaches of this will result in the press conference being suspended. This decision has been made to protect the interests of all parties and safeguard the integrity of the investigation that is currently taking place."

Mancini himself played down any side-effects of the drama, rejecting a suggestion that this has been the hardest week of his managerial career.

He said: "No, no, absolutely no. Why is it difficult? Some situations can happen in football, in your job. It's important that the past is finished.

"I don't have any complications. Only one complication that we had two days ago is that we lost against Bayern Munich, only this. We started very well we can do a fantastic season, I don't have this problem.

"It is normal that one player is not happy to leave the pitch in an important game or to stay on the bench, it's a normal situation for every manager."