Mario Balotelli’s future at Liverpool looks to be hanging by a thread, after he was left out of the matchday squad for the crucial clash with Chelsea, with Brendan Rodgers confirming that there was no injury behind his omission.
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According to the Daily Express, Rodgers seemed coy when asked about the controversial Italian striker, but insisted that Jerome Sinclair deserves his place on the bench.
“[He’s] just not selected in the squad,” Rodgers said.
“We’ve got a young striker in Jerome Sinclair, who’s been doing fanatic in our youth and reserve teams.
“He works tirelessly every day and Mario is just not in the squad,” he added.
Whilst our hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League look slim, especially given Manchester United’s victory yesterday, there is still a chance that with a victory against the Blues, we can catch the top four. With that in mind, it would have certainly been the safer bet to opt for the former Manchester City man, rather than the largely untested 18-year-old.
Balotelli has struggled for goals this season, no doubt, but he has shown glimpses of the talent that has seen so many managers take a punt on him, despite his indiscretions. The fact that Rodgers does not trust him for his potentially season-defining game does not bode well for his future chances of winning us over.