Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has said that Mario Balotelli must train hard if he is to win a regular place in his starting lineup.
The Italian is currently involved in a dispute with the club regarding a £340,000 fine for poor discipline last season, which caused him to miss a total of 11 competitive matches.
However, Mancini has said that the 22-year-old can still win a place against Reading on Saturday if he trains well.
"He needs to train," said Mancini. "I don't think he was happy about [the fine], but when he starts to show his quality he will play again.
"We won the title last year because all the strikers scored a lot of goals. I wanted it to be the same this year.
"So if a player like Mario is not performing, then he will stay at home."
Balotelli has scored one goal in 13 league appearances.
Written by
Michael Penkman
Michael Penkman
