THERE could be a Carlos on the substitutes’ bench in Manchester City’s next game after all.

But unlike his namesake Carlos Tevez, there’s no chance of Carlos Cuellar refusing to play if called upon when Villa visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday week.

Cuellar has privately pencilled in the claret and blues’ next match in ten days’ time as his possible return to first-team duty.

The Spanish defender came through unscathed after 45 minutes of Monday night’s 1-0 reserve-team win over Chelsea at Hinckley.

It was his first action since featuring as a late sub in Villa’s victory over Newcastle in April – with the defender having surgery on a torn meniscus in his knee the following month.

Now Cuellar, whose summer return to Rangers fell through because an agreement over personal terms could not be reached, is raring to go in the final year of his contract with Villa.

But he will face a tough task breaking up the central defensive partnership of Richard Dunne and James Collins, who have conceded just five goals in Villa’s unbeaten league start.

“It has been frustrating because it has been a long time,” said Cuellar, who hopes to continue his comeback in next Tuesday’s reserves match at Wolves.

“You’re watching games from the box in the crowd and you feel like you’re going to jump on to the pitch because you need to play.