Liverpool will be looking to get over their 3-1 loss to Manchester City on Monday night quickly, and in order to do so, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers could hand new striker Mario Balotelli his debut when they travel to London on Sunday to face Tottenham Hotspur.
The former AC Milan man, who completed his move to Merseyside only days ago in a deal reportedly worth £16mil, has been thrown right into training with the first team as the Liverpool boss tries to get his newest star up to speed. Balotelli is no stranger to the rigours of the Premier League having had a spell at Manchester City, but adapting his game to fit the Reds all action brand of football may take some time.
Despite the fact that he may not be perfectly in sync with his team-mates quite yet, Rodgers has confirmed that he could go straight into the starting eleven. “I think by the weekend” the Northern Irishman said when asked when Balotelli will be ready to feature. “He’s been into pre-season and he’s played three 45-minute games. He might not be up to full match speed, but he’s looking fit.”
The 24-year old was on hand for AC Milan during their spell in the Guinness International Champions Cup in North America over the summer and actually faced his new side in the competition with Liverpool running out 2-0 winners over Filippo Inzaghi’s side. Regardless, he could very well not be up to the Reds fitness standards, but Rodgers said they’re working on him. “We’ve done some analysis on him. The medical and sports science team have worked with him already and he’s in very, very good condition” he continued. “He’s in to work and he’ll be available for the squad for the weekend.”
