City's hopes of beating great rivals Manchester United in Saturday's semi-final at Wembley have been hit by confirmation that striker Carlos Tevez will definitely miss the game with a torn hamstring that could also rule him out of the club's bid for a Champions League place.
Down and out: City will have to do without their star striker for the semi-final against rivals Man United
And after James Milner became the latest City player to put on a public show of dissent towards his manager during the 3-0 defeat by Liverpool on Monday, Mancini insisted his squad must toe the line or risk blowing their opportunity to win a trophy for the first time in 35 years.
'All the players are behind me,' said the City boss. 'It would be stupid (to throw it away) because they have a good chance.
'Until now we've done a fantastic job because we can get everything - the FA Cup and the Champions League. All the players understand this is an important moment.'
Disharmony: Milner became the latest player to put on a public show of dissent towards Mancini on Monday
Asked about Milner's petulant response to being substituted on Monday, Mancini added: 'I like it when a player is not happy when he comes off the pitch or doesn't play. I always played to win. For them it's the same.'
United midfielder Paul Scholes has claimed that City cannot be considered as serious rivals until they win a trophy and team-mate Nemanja Vidic described their rivals' hunger for silverware as an 'obsession'.
In the stands: Mancini was an interested spectator in United's Champions League win over Chelsea on Tuesday
Mancini replied: 'If we win the FA Cup and go in the Champions League next year, the mentality will change. We will play to win the title. United know that we are an important team now. We have improved every year and in the future City will be an important club in the world.'
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?Explore more:People: Carlos Tevez, Paul Scholes, James Milner, Roberto Mancini, Nemanja Vidic Places: Liverpool
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Daily Mail