Mario Balotelli to return in time for the Manchester Derby
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has returned to the City of Manchester Stadium, following his injury concern. Manager Roberto Mancini is convinced that the youngster would be fit for the fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the mid of February.
Balotelli has been exceptional for the side, having already scored 8 times in 11 appearances for the Light Blues. However, the player suffered a knee concern while scoring a hat-rick against Aston Villa in late December, but his injury is not serious and the player would be back before the two Manchester mammoths clash in the premier league.
The manager has ruled out Balotelli for the City trip to Birmingham, or the weekend’s fixture against the newly promoted West Bromwich Albion at home. The second Manchester Derby of the season would take place on February the 12th and the manager is quite positive that the Italian would be available for the encounter.
"I hope everything is OK with Mario. I think he could be ready for the derby," stated the City manager. Should Balotelli return in time, City would have the luxury of playing Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko along with the Italian, which would make them the most threatening attack force in the premier league. Dzeko has taken his time to adapt to the English style of play, but found his first net as a City player against Notts County, setting a replay between the two sides for the FA Cup.
"It's very different and harder than the Bundesliga. I never played any games like this in Germany, not when you have to fight for 90 minutes. But if I want to be successful in England, I have to get used to it," stated the former Wolfsburg forward.
English International Gareth Barry praised Dzeko’s impact on the game against Notts County and claimed that there may be no stopping the Bosnian goal machine, once he gets into the right stride in the premier league. The player stated that for him to break his duck of goal scoring in his 3rd appearance for City was important, since striker thrive on goals. Barry expects Dzeko to find the net in the coming games in order to get his confidence levels high and expected the player to become a Man City star in the future.
According to experts, Manchester City have perhaps some of the best players on the planet and have the potential to topple any opposition. However, work needs to be done on team chemistry and bonding between the players. Despite having more star players and household names at the club than their neighbours, Manchester United currently top the premier league table without losing a single fixture. The reason behind that is United’s team chemistry and bonding, as they play like a family. Should this feeling and bond creep inside the City camp, there would be no stopping the light blues.