Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini refused to give much away about the possibility of Carlos Tevez returning to action but indicated an apology remains the key to him finding favour again at the Etihad Stadium.
The Argentinian has not played for City since he refused to warm up during the Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich in September, but it is reported today that he intends to return to England from Argentina on Tuesday and is ready to resume his City career after failing to secure a move away in the January transfer window.
Mancini, who saw his side return to the top of the Barclays Premier League with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa this afternoon, told Sky Sports: "My reaction is always the same. Carlos knows the situation, we are here and it depends on him.
"Carlos knows the situation from September, we don't have any problem."
Asked if an apology was still what City were waiting for, the Italian added: "Yes, it's possible. For now we should be happy for this game. For Carlos' situation, we know what can happen. Carlos is a Manchester City player. We are in Manchester, we are always there. We have not changed in these three months, we are there."
Mancini's men secured the victory thanks to a 63rd-minute goal from Joleon Lescott and the Italian hailed their efforts throughout the season.
"We were there (at the top) from August because we deserved this. It was a difficult game. We knew this before the game but the guys played fantastic football," he said.
City goalkeeper Joe Hart made some crucial saves late on to preserve the Blues' lead but Mancini insists he is not the best in the world - yet.
"He's very young and there are other keepers with more experience," Mancini added.
"He has many years in front (of him) but he could become one of the top keepers. Joleon played fantastically as well, we played fantastic football in the first half and we were missing only a goal."