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Roberto Mancini has conceded the Premier League title to Manchester United.

Manchester City are 15 points behind United with nine games left and Mancini admitted they have no chance of catching Sir Alex Ferguson's team.

Mancini said the same last season, when City trailed United by eight points with six games to go, but went on to snatch the title on goal difference on the final day.

This time, however, Mancini said there were no mind games at play as he conceded City's reign as champions will soon be over.

Asked if the title race was over, Mancini said: "Yeah, yeah.

"It's over, but this doesn't change anything because we should do our best from now to the end.

"Every top team, when they can't win a title, should still try to play well and win all their games.

"This is different [to last season when Mancini said title race was over].

"I don't know how we will finish this season, because we have Chelsea four points behind us and Tottenham five points behind.

"We have nine games left and for this reason it's important we keep working hard and well."

(Image: Getty)

Mancini also accused City skipper Vincent Kompany of defying him by playing for Belgium against Macedonia.

Kompany -

- has not featured for City for two months because of a calf injury but played 90 minutes in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

Mancini said: “For 60 days he didn’t play for us. We did everything we could, and then he goes to play for the national team. It’s not right. he has another injury or is not ready to play for us on Saturday, and we lose him for another month, it is not right either.”

Mancini insists he told Kompany not to play for his country and is furious with the defender and the Belgium manager Marc Wilmots for undermining him so publicly.

The City boss said he told Kompany to stay behind in Manchester to continue his rehabilitation, but the player ignored him by playing in the 1-0 win over Macedonia.

“Sometimes players should understand that the club is more important,” said Mancini. “I’m not saying the national team is not important, and I would never tell my players not to play for their country.

“But there are some cases when the club is more important, and all players should understand this.

“I’ve talked to him, but I can’t put him in jail for two weeks! I knew he was joining up and asked him to stay here for treatment.

“I didn’t want him to play because it was a risk, and for us the next two months are really important.

“He said the Belgium manager had called him up and he should go. But the responsibility is also with the player. It’s right that he should go and meet with the Belgium medical people, but then he should come back.

“It was important that he should work here and prepare for the next game, and the next two months.

“I expected he wouldn’t play and that he would be back after one or two days. Instead he played for 90 minutes and now we don’t know his condition.”

Kompany has not played for City since limping off in their 1-0 FA Cup win at Stoke on January 26.

Mancini had hoped his skipper would return to competitive action against Newcastle in the Premier League tomorrow. Now he’s not so sure.

He added: “The calf is a difficult injury and we don’t know if he’ll be OK or not.”

The Italian will, though, have Sergio Aguero back after the Argentina international missed the last three games with a knee injury.

He said: “Sergio is OK. I think he’ll be ready for Saturday.”

He also dismissed speculation linking him and Yaya Toure with a move to Monaco. He added: “I stay here for a long time, like Yaya.”