If Friday's red tops are to be believed, Roberto Mancini faces the first big test of his reign as Manchester City manager after what the Sun inevitably describes as "an astonishing bust-up".

It is reported that a training-ground dispute ended with Mancini telling Craig Bellamy to leave the club, and not come back for three months. Perhaps not the wisest course of action to take with easily one of City's best players this season.

The Sun's Steven Howard believes the alleged falling-out could have big repercussions.

"Well, who would have believed it? That lovely Craig Bellamy in a bust-up with the boss. This one was coming from, er, day one.

"But it's the latest in a series of events at Manchester City that will make Roberto Mancini have second thoughts about ever having realised his long-held ambition of managing in the Premier League. And one that will send shockwaves all the way to Abu Dhabi.

"At Inter Milan, Mancini just coached the players. Everything else was under the control of club president Massimo Moratti and his army of underlings.

"Over here, a manager must be coach, trainer, accountant, diplomat, physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, surrogate father (and mother) - and never make a mistake in the transfer market. Especially at City. As Mancini, two months into his stint, is discovering."

In a seperate report in the Mirror, further discontent is reported at Eastlands with a number of players reputedly unhappy with Mancini's training methods, as explained by David McDonnell.

"Roberto Mancini is facing a dressing-room revolt among his Manchester City players over his controversial training ground methods.

"Several City players are unhappy at Mancini's habit of changing their training schedule at the last minute, leaving them little time to plan their lives.

"And at least one senior first-team player believes the training sessions themselves lack the intensity of those under Mancini's predecessor Mark Hughes.

"Mancini is fond of changing City's training schedule on a whim, often with less than 24 hours' notice, which is proving an ongoing source of irritation to several squad members."

With both reports emerging in the country's two most prominent tabloids on the same morning, it appears Mancini has some work to do to heal any dressing room rifts and prevent further leaks to the media.