Roberto Mancini hopes to have Emmanuel Adebayor available for the second leg of Manchester City’s Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Adebayor is still in Togo on compassionate leave after surviving a machinegun attack on the national team bus that left three people dead as they arrived in Angola for the Africa Cup of Nations 12 days ago. Although City have told the striker to take all the time he needs, Mancini said that the player “will be back in the next few days” and may feature against United as the club attempt to reach the first final of a leading cup competition for 29 years.

Patrick Vieira should also be available for the United game, although there is a chance that the former Arsenal midfield player may make his City debut in the FA Cup fourth-round tie away to Scunthorpe United on Sunday in the wake of his move from Inter Milan this month.

The prospect of Adebayor reuniting with Carlos Tévez up front for City should give United an added headache, but Ryan Giggs is confident that the Carling Cup holders can overturn the 2-1 deficit in the second leg, much as they beat Derby County at the same stage last season despite losing 1-0 in the first leg.