MANCHESTER CITY may have to go into Sunday’s game against Liverpool without their leading scorer as well as their most experienced player after Carlos Tevez asked for more time to remain in Argentina on compassionate leave and Patrick Vieira reacquainted himself with the Football Association’s disciplinary department by admitting a charge of violent conduct to incur an automatic three-match ban.

Tevez has missed City’s last two games after returning to Buenos Aires because of the premature birth of his second daughter last weekend. The baby is in intensive care and the player has been told he should remain in Argentina until her condition has improved.

Roberto Mancini hopes Craig Bellamy will be able to replace Tevez after recovering from a knee injury but City’s manager will have to plan for City’s next three games without Vieira because of the Frenchman’s kick at Republic of Ireland international Glenn Whelan during the 1-1 draw with Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Tuesday night.

The referee, Alan Wiley, did not punish Vieira at the time but the 33-year-old midfielder was clearly seen on television driving his studs into Whelan’s groin in apparent retaliation for having been bundled to the ground. An independent FA commission will meet this morning and Vieira will know from previous indiscretions that this means a retrospective red card and an automatic suspension taking in Sunday’s game, the FA Cup fifth-round replay at Stoke on Wednesday and the league fixture at Chelsea three days later.

The ruling caps a miserable start to life in Manchester for Vieira, who has been troubled by a persistent calf injury since arriving from Internazionale on an initial six-month loan arrangement and who has looked slow and out of touch as he toils to regain his place in the France national squad for the World Cup.

Looking little like the lithe and athletic player who used to control games for Arsenal, he has started only twice for his new employers so far and this will be his 11th suspension in English football, having been sent off 10 times during a long and otherwise distinguished career with the north London club. Add to that another three red cards for Inter and one each for Juventus and France and Vieira has one of the worst disciplinary records in the game.