Euro qualifiers: Immobile claims Italy will not miss Balotelli

Conte refuses to shut the door on the Liverpool striker

MILAN: Borussia Dortmund striker Ciro Immobile insists Mario Balotelli will not be missed when a new-look Italy side host Azerbaijan for their Euro 2016 qualifier today.

Last year’s Serie A golden boot winner, Immobile has had a positive start in the Bundesliga since joining the German side from Torino, which has coincided with a recall to the national squad in the wake of Italy’s disastrous World Cup campaign.

Immobile’s club form is in stark contrast to that of Balotelli, who is struggling to make an impact at Liverpool since joining from AC Milan and has fallen out of favour with new Italy coach Antonio Conte.

Immobile is expected to start up front alongside Sassuolo striker Simone Zaza when Italy host Azerbaijan at the Stadio Barbera in Palermo.

Italy team manager Gabriele Oriali said the national team selectors will maintain a ‘revolving door policy’, but Immobile feels the current crop of players rightly deserve their selection.

"There are other strikers here who are playing very well,” Immobile told reporters. “If they're here, it's because they deserve to be. I know Balotelli very well. He's a good lad, but it's the coach who picks the squad.”

Conte, however, has not ruled out a future national team recall for Balotelli. “He has started afresh, so it's not easy,” said Conte earlier this week. “I think we need to give him time to settle at Liverpool. I make call-ups, not exclusions. Those are two very different things.”

Defender Leonardo Bonucci complained last week that Italy's World Cup preparations suffered because their “team base was a little too holiday-like”.

However, any thoughts of an easy ride under Conte are likely to have been dispelled immediately after his appointment. Conte previously led Juventus to three consecutive Serie A titles and is known for his no-nonsense disciplinarian approach, evidenced when he said that any bitterness or tension still hanging over the Juventus and Roma players after their bad-tempered Serie A clash last weekend was to be left for afterwards. "Once you cross the door at Coverciano, all other tensions remain outside," warned Conte.

Bale holds key to Wales' hopes

If Wales are to finally reach a major tournament for the first time since the 1958 World Cup, then Gareth Bale will undoubtedly need to be fit and firing in the majority of their Euro 2016 qualifiers.

So far so good for Bale and Wales with last month’s opening 2-1 Group B victory in Andorra secured courtesy of a double by the Real Madrid superstar.

Now, they face Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday.

The spotlight is firmly centred on Bale, the world's most expensive player, especially with key midfield duo Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen ruled out with injury.

However, Tottenham defender Ben Davies claims Chris Coleman's side cannot afford to be a one-man team throughout the entire campaign.

"What Gareth is bringing to this campaign is clear; he's a top class player with the quality he has got," said Davies. “However, you can't rely on him as a player to do everything for us. We all have to step up.”

While Wales kick-started their qualification hopes with a win, opponents Bosnia suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat to Cyprus and will be hoping to get their qualification campaign back on track with an away win.