Mario Balotelli is expected to miss the first leg of the Champions League play-off against Napoli, confirmed Nice Coach Lucien Favre.

The teams will go head-to-head for a place in the tournament proper, with the first leg at the Stadio San Paolo on August 16 and the return in Nice on August 22.

“It’s very unlikely that Balotelli will be available for the next game against Troyes and he probably won’t be ready for Napoli either,” said Favre today.

Mario Balotelli is expected to miss the first leg of the Champions League play-off against Napoli, confirmed Nice Coach Lucien Favre.

The teams will go head-to-head for a place in the tournament proper, with the first leg at the Stadio San Paolo on August 16 and the return in Nice on August 22.

“It’s very unlikely that Balotelli will be available for the next game against Troyes and he probably won’t be ready for Napoli either,” said Favre today.

“He is suffering from a knee tendon problem. He needs a whole new mini-pre-season training routine to get back in shape.”

Wesley Sneijder just arrived as a free agent from Galatasaray, but his presence against Napoli is also unclear.

“We’ll see how much he improves physically over the next few days.”

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