Carlos Tevez's Return Will Provide Boost to Manchester City in EPL Title Push

Following a saga which has stretched nearly five months, Carlos Tevez is finally expected to make his return to Manchester City on Tuesday.

Instead of allowing the situation to become an even bigger distraction, the Citizens should make him a big part of their Premier League title chase.

Mark Ogden of The Telegraph provides the details on Tevez's return:

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Tevez is set to return to Manchester City today for the first time since flying to Buenos Aires without the club’s permission on Nov 7.

The Argentine forward’s unauthorized absence has resulted in a fine of six weeks' wages, amounting to almost £1.2 million, for gross misconduct—a punishment he is expected to accept by dropping a planned appeal to the Premier League.

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Tevez went on to talk about being treated “like a dog” before leaving the team, which would normally severely damage any chance of his returning to action. This isn't a normal situation, however, so both sides should grow up and move on for the betterment of the team.

Manchester City currently leads rival Manchester United by two points with 13 games to play. If they plan on maintaining that edge for a couple more months, the Citizens will need all of the talent they can find to fend off the Red Devils' late charge.

Even though Tevez has been away from the game for awhile, once he gets back up to speed, he has the talent to become an important piece of City's attack. He netted 27 goals in 45 games across all competitions last season. That type of ability shouldn't be shunned.

Transfer negotiations with several possible suitors failed during the January window, so it's in the best interest of both Tevez and manager Roberto Mancini to make the most of the remaining games.

Tevez will want to play well so more potential landing spots will emerge before the summer window opens, while Mancini needs to make sure the striker's value is as high as it can be if he plans to sell him.

There's simply no reason to let this incident drag on any longer. Manchester City has much more important things to be concerned with, and anything that could take away from those pursuits needs to be neutralized now before crunch time arrives.

Let Tevez rejoin the team and make him earn his playing time by showing he's fit to play. The added depth up front will provide a nice boost once he's ready to return.

It's the best choice the Citizens have if they want to avoid a late-season collapse, which would allow the Red Devils to claim another title.