Balotelli tasked with cup mission

Controversial striker Mario Balotelli has been recalled to the Manchester City team for the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley.

Balotelli has been preferred to Edin Dzeko up front in the absence of skipper Carlos Tevez. The Italian has scored 10 goals in his debut season but also collected two red cards and nine yellows.

Manager Roberto Mancini has made four changes to the team that lost to Liverpool with Pablo Zabaleta, Nigel de Jong and David Silva all returning.

Defender Vincent Kompany wears the captain’s armband with Tevez sidelined as City, without a major trophy in 35 years, look to overcome their local rivals.

Dimitar Berbatov, as expected, replaces the suspended Wayne Rooney in attack for United, who are still on course for the treble.

There are two other changes to that side that overcame Chelsea in the Champions League in midweek. Paul Scholes and Antonio Valencia replace Ryan Giggs and Javier Hernandez.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, Silva, De Jong, Barry, Toure Yaya, Adam Johnson, Balotelli.

Subs: Taylor, Boyata, Vieira, Milner, Wright-Phillips, Dzeko, Jo.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Scholes, Carrick, Park, Nani, Berbatov.

Subs: Kuszczak, Owen, Anderson, Smalling, Hernandez, Fabio Da Silva, Gibson.

Referee: Mike Dean.