Suarez right to apologise, Mancini

ROBERTO Mancini has no doubt Liverpool's Luis Suarez is not racist but believes an apology over the Patrice Evra affair was important.

Suarez is currently serving an eight–game ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Evra.

And Manchester City boss Mancini understands how the row erupted, with Suarez claiming the term he was found to have offended Evra with is not derogatory in his country.

But despite feeling wronged in the affair, Suarez did issue a broad apology for any offence caused last week and Mancini thinks that was a welcome step.

The Italian said: "I think that sometimes a situation like this can happen on the pitch. It is important to apologise for what he did.

"Sometimes on the pitch you can do something that you don't want to do. You are nervous. You don't think on the pitch.

"I don't think Suarez is a racist. He made a mistake? Probably, yes.

"Everyone can make a mistake sometimes. It is impossible that we are always perfect. It is important to say 'I am sorry, I made a mistake, I apologise for this and I accept the charge'."

Gareth Barry returns from suspension tonight but skipper Vincent Kompany begins a four–match ban and David Silva, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko all face late fitness tests.

The Kompany situation leaves a particularly sour taste for Mancini, who remains convinced his captain did nothing to warrant dismissal when he made his tackle on Nani 12 minutes into the FA Cup derby.

"In 30 years I have never seen a sending off for a tackle like this," he added.

"For me there was no danger. If there was danger, Nani was there, he was the player near the ball. He would have said something about it. He didn't say anything.

"Last week I watched three or four players in the Premier League who made a tackle worse than Vinny, with the same referee. He did nothing. No yellow card. Nothing."