Balotelli out of Italy games

Manchester City and Italy striker Mario Balotelli will miss Friday’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Estonia and Tuesday’s friendly against Republic of Ireland after suffering a knee injury in training.

The 20-year-old former Inter Milan forward reported a recurrence of a problem with his right knee minutes into a training game against the Italy Under-18 side yesterday.

Professor Enrico Castellacci, the doctor who assessed him, said that Balotelli “would not recover in time for Friday’s game against Estonia and to play against Ireland would be an unnecessary risk”.

Cesare Prandelli’s Italy face Estonia in Modena on Friday and then take on the Republic in Liege next Tuesday.