Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini concedes he is unlikely to bring in a replacement for Mario Balotelli after confirming the Italy striker is close to leaving the club.
Much of the talk prior to City's Premier League clash with QPR at Loftus Road on Tuesday surrounded Balotelli, who was reportedly closing in on a move to AC Milan.
Speaking after the game, which ended 0-0, Mancini confirmed the controversial forward was close to leaving but played down talk of an imminent replacement.
"Both clubs are talking about him," Mancini told Sky Sports. "I think maybe tomorrow they conclude. I think that Mario is due for a medical.
"We are very sorry because we love Mario. But I think that he had this big chance to go back to Italy and to play for another top club like Milan."
When asked about any potential replacements, Mancini revealed that discussions over the sale of Balotelli only began 48 hours ago, leaving precious little time for further deals.
He added: "Four days ago we didn't have nothing, but the last two days we have started to talk about this [Balotelli's transfer].
"I don't know [about a replacement], we have three strikers, we will see, we only have two days it is difficult to get the player now."
Speaking about the game, Mancini praised QPR for their battling display, singling out goalkeeper Julio Cesar - who played under Mancini at Inter - after the Brazilian made a number of key saves to deny the Premier League champions.
"Julio is one of the top keepers in the world and he saved his team and I'm very happy for him because I know him very well but I'm very frustrated for us," he said.
"I think that now QPR is a different team, they don't concede a lot of space, it is difficult to play against them now because they play with 10 players behind the ball, if you don't score or find a good solution like we had today in the first half it's difficult.
"We missed a good chance tonight. We played well, we didn't concede, but in football you need to score."
Bristol City moved to within four points of 21st place with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over in-form Watford at Ashton Gate.
The Robins, who kept a clean sheet for the first time since April 2012, survived some first-half scares gainst the division's top scorers and took the lead in fortuitous circumstances when Greg Cunningham's hopeful cross found its way into the back of the net.
And 20 minutes after the break, Paul Anderson found the bottom corner to secure a valuable three points in the battle for survival.
At Oakwell, Jason Scotland marked his Barnsley debut by scoring with his first touch to help lift his new club closer to safety with a 2-0 victory over Millwall.
The 33-year-old former Swansea and Wigan striker, signed until the end of the season following his release from Ipswich, came off the bench in the 62nd minute and slammed home an emphatic 12-yard finish less than 90 seconds later.
Barnsley, who took the lead through striker Chris Dagnall's fourth goal in as many matches 11 minutes earlier, were good value for their advantage and comfortably held on to secure their fourth win in six matches under manager David Flitcroft.
In League One, Yeovil leapfrogged MK Dons and are now within three points of the play-off places thanks to a 2-1 win at Huish Park.
Paddy Madden put the Glovers ahead midway through the first half and although Antony Kay levelled in the 35th minute, the Dons' hopes of securing a result were hit by Antony Kay's dismissal for an off-the-ball clash with Madden, who scored the winner 12 minutes from time.
Jeff Hughes and Francois Zoko netted late goals to earn 10-man Notts County a battling 2-0 victory over struggling Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
Hughes broke the deadlock in the 81st minute before Zoko settled matters seven minutes later and although Neal Bishop was sent off following an off-the-ball altercation with Pompey skipper Johnny Ertl in injury time, it mattered little.
Third-placed Swindon were held to a goalless draw at Leyton Orient and are now six points adrift of the top two, while Crawley's clash with Preston was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
In League Two, Cody McDonald and Myles Weston netted to earn Gillingham a 2-0 win over Northampton which sent them to the top of the table.
Jacques Maghoma earned Burton a 1-1 draw at Oxford, who took the lead through James Constable. The point moved the Brewers into the top three for the first time this season.
In atrocious conditions of driving rain and a strong wind, there was no shortage of excitement with the hosts twice having penalty appeals turned down by referee Andy D'Urso.
His second debatable decision appeared particularly harsh on Orient winger Moses Odubajo, who had shrugged off two tackles in the 70th minute before going to ground only to be booked for diving.
Lee Cook had also been guilty of a similar offence in the first-half.
The Robins were denied by an upright in the 67th minute after Andy Williams had latched onto a cross from Raffaele De Vita, while Alan McCormack also went close for Town when his long-range drive was turned away at full length by O's goalkeeper Jamie Jones.
At the opposite end, Town shot-stopper Wes Foderingham produced a wonderful reactionary save at point-blank range to keep out a Jimmy Smith shot with three minutes remaining.
