Mario Balotelli dropped by Nice

Mario Balotelli has been dropped by Nice following suggestions that he’s in a ‘fragile physical condition’.

Despite scoring twice on his debut against Marseille, the 26-year-old looked out of place on Thursday night against Schalke when the French outfit were turned over 1-0 in the Europa League.

He didn’t train with the rest of his team-mates yesterday and reports state that he’s been left out of today’s squad for their game against Montpellier.

Speaking after the Schalke defeat, boss Lucien Favre said: “We all know there is a lot of work to be done.

“We were all happy that he score twice against Marseille. He’s ready to make an effort.

“You also have to move more quickly in a game. He always manages to do something positive, to keep the ball.

“If there is improvement, even just a tiny amount, in the coming weeks, it’ll be positive.”