Rodney Marsh has warned Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini that selecting Carlos Tevez could get him sacked.
The Argentinian striker could return against Chelsea on Wednesday seven months after being accused of refusing to warm up during the Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich.
But ex-City player Marsh said: "Mancini will be sacked if Tevez plays and City don't win the title.
"I believe strongly that, if Chelsea win tonight, City won't win the title."
On Tuesday, Mancini said it was "possible" the 28-year-old would be on the bench for the Chelsea game, with City four points behind leaders Manchester United.
But Marsh, who was a record £200,000 signing for City in 1972, said it could disrupt the harmony of the team.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "At this moment in time they have got a fantastic squad of players - [Sergio] Aguero, [Mario] Balotelli and [Edin] Dzeko up front, [David] Silva and [Samir] Nasri.
"If he should change it and bring in Tevez and they lose it I think it will be that important.
"Since Tevez allegedly refused to come on in that game in Germany, Manchester City have been knocked out of every competition.
"If they should also lose the Premier League based on the fact he is coming back I think that is a bridge too far."
Marsh, now 67, believes Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson would have sold Tevez after the incident in Germany.
Some have compared the situation with Tevez to what happened when Marsh joined City.
The club were four points clear at the top but went onto finish fourth.
"The comparison is different," Marsh said. "Carlos Tevez has played for City before. I came in from cold.
"I was kind of a jinx all those years. My debut was 40 years ago this Sunday. The game was against Chelsea and we won 1-0.
"If he plays tonight and City win 1-0, I will start believing I am a jinx."
Marsh made 118 appearances for City, scoring 36 times after joining from Queens Park Rangers having scored 44 goals in one season.
Tevez has played for the reserves since returning, scoring in a 3-1 win over Bolton on 6 March.
The Argentinian last appearance for City's first team was in the 2-0 win over Birmingham in the Carling Cup on 21 September.