Roberto Mancini's frustration with Carlos Tevez broadened into a critique of Wayne Bridge's lifestyle as the Manchester City manager expressed his distaste for the way footballers can bank vast sums of money without kicking a ball.

Mancini's exasperation with Tevez was accompanied by a clear sense of regret as he considered a congested fixture schedule that begins with Stoke City's visit to the Etihad Stadium and could see the Premier League leaders play eight games in January. His falling-out with the Argentinian was "strange and frustrating", he said. "With Carlos in the squad, we're a better team. Carlos is a fantastic striker, so we were better, 100%."

But it was when the conversation turned to Bridge, the best-paid non-playing footballer in the league, that Mancini was at his most outspoken. The City manager is unwilling to protect a player who earns £90,000 a week at a club but is no longer wanted.

"I don't understand this," Mancini said. "For every player, it should be important to play football. I don't know why someone would want to stay at one club when they know they cannot play. Wayne has had two or three chances [to leave], maybe not in the Premier League but in the Championship. In the summer he had the chance to play for Celtic, and this is an important team."

Bridge turned them down, as well as rejecting offers from Turkey and Russia, and Mancini was asked what the former England player did on his average Saturday. "I don't know," he replied. "Golf?"

Bridge has earned around £4.7m since his last league game for the club, a year ago. His only appearance this season came in a Carling Cup tie against Birmingham City in September and he was not in the squad for Sunday's match against Arsenal despite two left-backs, Gaël Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov, being unavailable. The Gunners are the latest club believed to show an interest in signing Bridge, on loan, after suffering injuries to Kieran Gibbs and Andre Santos.

"When we are young and start to play football, we don't play for money," Mancini said. "We play because we like football. Every player should have this target in mind: play football. Wayne is a good guy but it should be important for him to play."

Bridge, signed from Chelsea for £10m in January 2009, often trains with City's youth team. Mancini was asked if this was humbling for a player with 36 caps. "It's for this reason he should want to play," he said. "He trains with us sometimes, and sometimes he trains with the young players. I hope [he will reconsider in January]. It's difficult for a player to stay here every day then we get to Saturday and no [not playing]."

At least City are getting closer to unburdening themselves of Tevez and his £250,000-a-week salary, which is still being paid despite the player going on strike and flying to Argentina on 8 November. A delegation from Milan will be in Manchester . Mancini, however, said the Serie A club would have to change their offer of a loan arrangement.

"Milan know they can't get Carlos on loan, and they know this very well. But if they want to buy Carlos, then for us it's OK. We don't have a problem with that, we want Carlos to find a good solution, but no one can get him on loan.

"When Manchester City bought all these players we paid a lot of money but every time we want to sell one, the [buying] clubs want to get the player on loan. This is not good for this club or the other clubs. City paid a lot of money [for Tevez] three years ago and I think it's only correct that if Milan, Juventus and PSG want him they should pay the value."

Mancini also revealed that he planned more talks with François Zahoui, the manager of the Ivory Coast national team, after learning that Yaya and Kolo Touré may be called up for the Africa Cup of Nations earlier than expected.Zahoui, who knows Mancini after spending two seasons at Ascoli in the 1980s, had agreed to waive Fifa's two‑week rule and allow the Tourés to play in the FA Cup third-round tie against Manchester United on 8 January and the home leg of the Carling Cup semi-final against Liverpool three days later.

The Cup of Nations starts on 21 January, in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Mancini also wanted his players to face Wigan a week earlier. However, other clubs have made similar requests, citing the precedent at City, and the offer has been revoked. The brothers may therefore have to leave after the United match.