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Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:11 pmby french_tony
Out for at least a month. Concerned about Mario's fitness. Seems to be injured more than fit.
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
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:18 pmby Mike J
not good news. thank christ we signed dzeko though.
still think we really need to sign a back up for silva
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:46 pmby BobbyJ1956
Mike J wrote:not good news. thank christ we signed dzeko though.
still think we really need to sign a back up for silva
He's called Michael Johnson.
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:51 pmby gillie
Marin from i think werder bremen would done fine as a back up for Silva.
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:52 pmby Goaters 103
BobbyJ1956 wrote:Mike J wrote:not good news. thank christ we signed dzeko though.
still think we really need to sign a back up for silva
He's called Michael Johnson.
If Michael Johnson is the answer, then we still have a problem. Can anybody recall Johnsons last meaningful contribution in the first XI? Can anyone else name a top level player who misses 2 seasons of football and ever comes back and succeeds? Nope, I can't either - to rely on Johnson would be folly in the extreme.
If Balotelli is a sick note, as clear evidence would appear, we will need keep one of Adebayor or Santa Snooze as cover. Failing that we will need another signing.
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:56 pmby Zezou
Goaters 103 wrote:
If Balotelli is a sick note, as clear evidence would appear, we will need keep one of Adebayor or Santa Snooze as cover. Failing that we will need another signing.
get a grip, he's 20 had a knee injury and it flared back up.... its not as if he's 32 and out every week with a different injury. He'll be fine people over react so much!
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:59 pmby Kiss_The_Goat
Mike J wrote:not good news. thank christ we signed dzeko though.
still think we really need to sign a back up for silva
Not good news at all! That is really worrying. Seems like his knee is not in a good way.
As far as backup for Silva goes, I agree. I dont think MJ is the answer though. Gai Assulin seems like he's more in the Silva mode, or even playing AJ behind the front 2 which I remember Bobby did with him a few times last season.
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:09 amby Trautmann
....and Ferguson was questioning why we needed so many strikers!
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:27 amby john@staustell
Good job we've got back-up:
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:27 amby Goaters 103
Zezou wrote:Goaters 103 wrote:
If Balotelli is a sick note, as clear evidence would appear, we will need keep one of Adebayor or Santa Snooze as cover. Failing that we will need another signing.
get a grip, he's 20 had a knee injury and it flared back up.... its not as if he's 32 and out every week with a different injury. He'll be fine people over react so much!
He's played 8 games this season, and is now facing knee op number 2 in the past 5 months. Not exactly sparkling is it - I'd say it qualifies unde sick note territoy this season. If he's out a minimum 4 more weeks, add in recuperation and reserve matches to get up to speed and match-fit sharpness, and thus he isnt a factor again for the first team until mid-March under best case scenario.
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:48 amby paulmclaren
Dzetko......= the new but never, ever beaten Uwe Rossler.....
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:02 amby JonnyAsh
Can always get Bellers back as cover, but maybe time to blood some of the youngsters to see what they are made of
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:58 amby Patrick
Shame we can't get Bellers back but his mouth problem seems to flare up more than his knee.
I could lend him my ball gag....
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 5:24 amby Im_Spartacus
JonnyAsh wrote:Can always get Bellers back as cover, but maybe time to blood some of the youngsters to see what they are made of
you can't recall a player who is on a season long loan
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 6:29 amby zuricity
JonnyAsh wrote:Can always get Bellers back as cover, but maybe time to blood some of the youngsters to see what they are made of
Isn't Bellamy recovering from being beaten up (again) at the weekend ?
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:09 amby Esky
zuricity wrote:JonnyAsh wrote:Can always get Bellers back as cover, but maybe time to blood some of the youngsters to see what they are made of
Isn't Bellamy recovering from being beaten up (again) at the weekend ?
Yep, some guy outside a pub wanted to race him in a sprint(?), ended up with Bellers getting king hit and escaping in a taxi. Apparently, anyway.
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 9:22 amby lets all have a disco
Been glass so far.
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 9:59 amby avoidconfusion
Fucking hell is he the new Croque or what?
At least he has already scored more goals for City than Croque has.
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 10:09 amby london blue 2
Doesnt look good.
Lazy
Injury prone
Bad attitude
what a player ;)
Re: Mario...uh oh
Posted:
Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:57 amby CityFanFromRome
This sounds new to me, I mean, here in Italy he was never injured so often; he was usually out of the team because he didn't get along with Jose, but not because he was injured; I fear his return might have been rushed after the first injury and now that same problem has popped up again.