Manchester City have been dealt a blow with the news Mario Balotelli needs a knee operation and is expected to be out for a month, and possibly longer. Balotelli, signed for £22.5m from Inter Milan last month, is to undergo surgery in Pavia, near Milan, on Thursday after a scan showed that he had damaged the cartilage in the final moments of his debut, the away leg of the Europa League play-off against Timisoara on 19 August.
The 20-year-old has not played since, missing three games for City.
City's medical staff had hoped that the pain would subside but Balotelli has been unable to train properly and it has now been decided that he needs surgery, meaning he could miss another six games for his new club, starting with the visit of Blackburn Rovers to Eastlands on Saturday.
