key return to action for Manchester City when he completed 45 minutes of a reserve match against Preston North End at the Premier League club's Carrington training ground Tuesday. The Argentine striker had not played for City since falling out with the club following his refusal to warm up during the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich in September. He returned to Argentina without permission and spent three months in his homeland before coming back to England two weeks ago and apologizing for his behavior. “Carlos saw plenty of action without getting a goal chance in his first 45 minutes back,” City said on their Twitter feed. Tevez was watched by fellow City striker and compatriot Sergio Aguero. Preston won the match 3-1. Villas-Boas in trouble Andre Villas-Boas is unsure if he has the backing of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and wonders if he will be sacked in the same way as predecessor Carlo Ancelotti was last May, the Portuguese coach said Monday. “We are now in the exact same moment as last year,” Villas-Boas told Portugal's TSF radio. “It is an exact copy. “I think I have felt the confidence from Abramovich but ... the pattern of behavior of the owner has led to a downfall (of coaches) in similar situations or even ‘better' situations. “What will be the reaction? It will be one of the two, a continuation of the project and full support or just the cultural pattern that has happened before. We don't know.” Villas-Boas has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks with Chelsea in the middle of a form slump and media reporting a rift with several players. No Kaka for friendly Brazil will take on Bosnia in its first friendly of the year Wednesday in the Swiss town of St. Gallen with Ronaldinho and Neymar in their ranks but without Real Madrid midfielder Kaka. Kaka did play in the final two games of 2011 for the auriverde — wins over Gabon and Egypt — but while coach Mano Menezes insists he respects the player's abilities, he said: “I'm not going to give an explanation for every player not selected.” Menezes wants to go through various permutations in the two years before the five-time world champion host the World Cup, hence he can afford to use Wednesday as a test for some home-based players, including Neymar. Ronaldinho, approaching 32, is showing flashes of his old brilliance with Flamengo and hopes that he is not yet destined for the international scrapheap.
