London: Portuguese striker Nani has warned Manchester City that without Carlos Tevez, they will struggle to make their presence felt in the Community Shield.
A daily quoted Nani, 24, as saying: "I played with Carlos and he is an important player for any club. I don't know if he will stay at City but, if he does go, it will be a big problem for Mancini because of the way that he plays and his experience.”
"The Community Shield is the first official title of the season and we want to win. And facing City makes the match more exciting. It's also our first derby of the season, so to lift the trophy would raise our morale and inflict pain on our rivals," he added.
United fans are keen to see Nani in the flesh again. He has long fluctuated between world-beater and wasted talent.
And despite 10 goals and a table-topping 18 assists, his use as a late substitute in the Champions League final - which Spanish giants Barcelona won 3-1 - suggested boss Alex Ferguson does not trust him in the truly big games.
The Portuguese international expects to grace Wembley again tomorrow after playing a starring role in United's 2-1 friendly win over Barca in Washington last weekend when he scored the opening goal.
ANI
First Published: Saturday, August 06, 2011, 16:29