Mancini keen to keep focus on cup

Roberto Mancini has warned Manchester City not to let their minds wander to next week's Carling Cup semi-final showdown with Manchester United.

England's most prestigious cup competition, the FA Cup, has taken a bit of a back seat in discussions among the Eastlands faithful. While Saturday's trip to Middlesbrough does offer the opportunity of progress in a competition that ended with a humiliating exit last term when City were hammered on home soil by Nottingham Forest, of far more interest is the Carling Cup tie with United next Wednesday.

As they close in on a first cup final appearance since 1981 and given the opposition standing in their way, there is little doubt most Blues fans would trade elimination at The Riverside to guarantee victory over Sir Alex Ferguson's team.

But Mancini accepts life does not work that way, which is why his players remain focussed on the task in hand.

"I have told the players they should not be thinking about the semi-final," said the Italian. "We must have full attention on the FA Cup. We can prepare for the next game as soon as the final whistle goes.

"I will not be thinking about the match against United next week just what is best for the team and the players.

"I will play the strongest team I can at Middlesbrough but we do have a lot of injuries."

Although it would appear Mancini is getting his excuses in early, in fact he is just outlining the reality. Confirmation that Stephen Ireland is out for a fortnight with a hamstring injury means he has seven senior players definitely missing, including Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor, who are now on African Nations Cup duty with the Ivory Coast and Togo respectively.

In addition, Shaun Wright-Phillips is struggling to shake off an ankle injury that has prevented him appearing for Mancini so far, while Craig Bellamy's well-publicised knee problems mean he is unlikely to be risked, Mancini's one concession to the United fixture.

"We do not have a very big squad so one or two young players who have been training with the first team might have to play," said Mancini. "I know Middlesbrough will be a tough side to play on their own pitch and will see the tie as one where they can relax and try to take the scalp of a Premier League team.

"We don't want that to happen; we want to make progress because we know that by the time we reach the fourth round, a lot of our players will be back from injury."

It is not unusual for continental coaches to underestimate the importance of the FA Cup. However Mancini's own playing career is littered with cup success.

"We are excited by the FA Cup," he said. "I know that in England it is a very important competition.

"In Italy it is not taken so seriously until the semi-final stage.

"But I won the Coppa Italia six times as a player and four times as a manager. It would be great to think I could do that at City too."