Balotelli benched for City

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has left £24m striker Mario Balotelli on the bench for this afternoon’s Premier League trip to Newcastle.

The 20-year-old Italian is one of three men to make way from the side which lost 2-1 at home to Everton on Monday evening, with Pablo Zabaleta and the suspended Kolo Toure also missing out.

Joleon Lescott and Jerome Boateng have been drafted in at the back while Nigel de Jong, the man whose challenge left Magpies winger Hatem Ben Arfa with a double leg fracture in October, returns from his own ban in midfield.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has made only two changes to the side which beat Liverpool 3-1 with Fabricio Coloccini replacing Sol Campbell after completing a three-match ban and Wayne Routledge coming in for the injured Shola Ameobi.

Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Barton, Tiote, Gutierrez, Nolan, Carroll.

Subs: Harper, Williamson, Guthrie, Perch, Smith, Best, Ranger.

Man City: Hart, Boateng, Lescott, Kompany, Kolarov, Barry, De Jong, Milner, Toure Yaya, Silva, Tevez.

Subs: Given, Richards, Zabaleta, Adam Johnson, Vieira, Jo, Balotelli.

Referee: Chris Foy.