Mario Balotelli scored twice as he made a surprise appearance for Manchester City’s Under-21 side in a 4-0 friendly win against Blackburn yesterday. The controversial Italian might even have claimed a hat-trick, but passed up the opportunity to take any of City’s two penalties in the modest surroundings of City’s academy base at Platt Lane.

Balotelli returned to first-team action after an absence of five games, four of them due to a virus, as a substitute in Saturday’s 3-0 FA Cup win over Watford at the Etihad Stadium.

City face a trip to Arsenal in the league next weekend.