Player profile

Tevez has been in outstanding form for Manchester City since December but is not a guaranteed starter in South Africa. He struggled during qualifying, when he managed more red cards than goals.

Sent off against Colombia and Paraguay, he also blotted his copybook with a penalty miss in the defeat by Ecuador. He admits he deserved to lose his place to Gonzalo Higuain for the final two qualifiers. He started two matches at the last World Cup, including the quarter-final exit to Germany.

The striker spent two years on loan at Manchester United before joining City last summer after United baulked at a reported £25.5m asking price. He managed only one league goal in his first four months at Eastlands, though he was not helped by a heel injury that disrupted his pre-season.

His form picked up dramatically after Roberto Mancini replaced Mark Hughes, although Tevez insists the Welshman should not have been axed. Tevez has courted controversy in recent times, publically criticising Mancini’s double training sessions. He also said John Terry has no “moral code” and branded Gary Neville a “moron”.

He pulled a kettle of boiling water over himself aged 10 months, leaving his neck scarred. He turned down surgery aged 10 as it would mean a four-month absence from football and again refused to go under the knife while at Boca, explaining: “I won’t have surgery - you either take me as I am or you don’t.” Tevez grew up in Fuerte Apache, a poor and violent district of Buenos Aires.