Carlos Tevez could face up to six months in prison after he was arrested for allegedly driving when disqualified on Thursday evening, and the striker may also be disciplined by Manchester City.

Tevez was released on police bail and has to return to Macclesfield police
station on Tuesday. The striker trained as usual on Friday and is available
for selection for Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Barnsley at the
Etihad Stadium.

While the forward's representatives and the club declined to comment, if Tevez is charged and found guilty the maximum sentence is six months, with the courts taking a serious view of the offence. They can also consider community service or issue anti-social behaviour orders, as well as fines up to £5,000.

Tevez's arrest is sure to cause embarrassment at City, not least following a number of controversial incidents involving the Argentinian. Since apologising to Roberto Mancini for his refusal to warm-up for a Champions League game at Bayern Munich in September 2011 and his subsequent five-month battle with the club, Tevez has made a successful return to first-team action. He has consistently spoken of how happy he now is and described himself last week as a different man more accepting of the manager's decisions.

Tevez, who was banned from driving in January, was arrested and taken to Macclesfield police station on Thursday evening after being stopped in a car on the edge of the town as a result of "information provided". He was taken to a nearby police station for questioning before being bailed. No bail date has been released.

A statement from Cheshire police said: "At 5.13pm on Thursday 7 March police arrested a 29-year-old man from Alderley Edge on the A538 in Macclesfield on suspicion of driving while disqualified. He has since been released on police bail."

Tevez had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to supply information over incidents in which his car was clocked speeding. As well as being banned for six months, he was ordered to pay fines and costings totalling £1,540. His legal team had told Manchester magistrates' court their client did not understand the word 'constabulary' on official letters from the police. His solicitor Gwyn Lewis told the hearing: "He does understand the word 'police', but not more complicated words. The letters are written from Cheshire constabulary and the word police doesn't appear on it anywhere."

With Sergio Agüero unavailable due to a knee injury, Mancini may be forced to select Tevez for Barnsley's visit alongside Edin Dzeko, who may be leaving City this summer. "At the moment, there is nothing [but] in the end, maybe," the manager said. "I don't know. In the summer it could be possible but for Edin, for other players, we don't have anything. Dzeko is an important player for us. We want that he stays here."