Guardian:
Roberto Mancini has spoken of his growing concerns about Mario Balotelli's fitness after revealing that the striker will be out for at least a month and potentially longer with an injury that threatens to cause serious disruption to the second half of his season.
Balotelli has already missed two months after needing an operation in September to repair the meniscus cartilage he damaged on his debut for Manchester City, and the same problem has now flared up again. The £25m signing has missed the last three matches and has been advised to take a complete rest before further tests early next month to determine whether he needs a second operation.
"Mario's knee is not good," Mancini said. "I don't know [about surgery] at this moment but he must rest for three to four weeks. He will have rest and treatment and then he will start [training] again and hopefully everything will be OK.
"But it is the same knee and I am worried because it is strange that he had an operation and now, after two months back, he has another problem with it. I am worried because I never expected him to have to rest for another four weeks, especially at such an important time in the season when we must play so many important games."
Balotelli has scored eight goals in his 11 appearances for City, although his absence is offset by the arrival of Edin Dzeko, and Mancini was emboldened enough to describe his attacking options, including David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Adam Johnson, as potentially the best of any side in Europe.
"I think we can play all five together because they are all capable of changing their positions," said a manager who has been criticised at times for his perceived negative tactics, most recently the goalless draw at Arsenal last week. "I'm not saying we will always play with five attackers, but sometimes. Edin can make a difference in the big games; against Arsenal it would probably have been a different game had he been playing."
Dzeko, signed from Wolfsburg for £27m, quickly set about ingratiating himself with City's supporters as he held an introductory press conference at the club's training ground. Within 30 seconds he had come out with the traditional line – "I have heard that most of the people in Manchester support Manchester City" – and he returned to the subject, saying his information was that "it is people from the other cities who support Manchester United".
The Bosnia international should make his debut in Saturday's home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, although his fitness will have to be assessed after coming out of the Bundesliga's winter break. Mancini has favoured a 4-2-3-1 system for most of the season and, looking ahead, the manager wants Dzeko to play the role of the lone striker, with Tevez operating from a wider starting position on the left but given licence to roam.
David Silva returned to training today but is still a doubt for the weekend after missing the last two games because of a knee injury. But the better news for City is that the midfielder Michael Johnson made his comeback after 15 months out in a Manchester Senior Cup tie against Rochdale tonight
