Tevez rated as 50-50 for FA Cup final

Manchester City captain Carlos Tevez only has a 50% chance of being fit in time for the FA Cup final, the club have confirmed.

Tevez, 27, missed the semi-final victory over former club Manchester United with a hamstring injury suffered in the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on April 11, and he is facing a race against time to be fit for City's first major final since the 1981 FA Cup final defeat to Tottenham.

Tevez returned to Manchester this week after receiving treatment in Milan from Argentina team doctor Daniel Martinez and City claimed on Thursday that he is "making good progress" but stressed that his chances of playing against Stoke on May 14 "are currently rated at no more than 50/50".

"[Tevez] is responding well to treatment and is desperate to play his part in creating history for the Blues," a statement on City's official website read.

City boss Roberto Mancini promised to pull out all the stops to make sure his influential skipper is fit, though he insisted Tevez will not start at Wembley if he hasn't had at least one game under his belt.

"Carlos is here and has started running again. We will do everything so he can recover," Mancini said. "It is difficult to say if he will play in the final, but that will only happen if he can come back against Tottenham.

"It is very important Carlos is 100%, not 60% or 70%. It is better to have all the players available for the next game but it is impossible at this moment."

There was more positive news for City, as Micah Richards is expected to be fit for the return to Wembley. The England defender has been using an oxygen tent in a bid to speed up his recovery from a hamstring injury.