Balotelli flies home from BrazilItaly will be without Mario Balotelli for the rest of their Confederations Cup campaign, after the AC Milan striker failed to recover from a thigh injury.
The team doctors had initially hoped that Balotelli would recover in time for the final or third-place playoff, but he has left the Italian camp.
“I met with Balotelli this morning,” Enrico Castellaci, the head of Italy’s medical staff, told www.figc.it. “The medical condition is not satisfactory, he cannot recover even for the finals on Sunday.
“To avoid unnecessary risks we decided, in agreement with (coach Cesare) Prandelli and after talking to the medical staff of AC Milan, we decided to send the player back to Milan.”
Castellacci also expressed confidence that midfielder Andrea Pirlo, will be fit to face Spain, after missing the Brazil game with a leg injury.
“He is continuing to work hard and we are cautiously optimistic,” he added. “But we have to evaluate his case day by day and if he does play against Spain it will be decided only at the last moment.”