Balotelli becoming a drag for Mancini
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has told enigmatic striker Mario Balotelli to quit smoking - but will not play the overbearing parent.
Balotelli, who continues to attract as much attention for his antics off-field as for his performances on it, has been pictured smoking cigarettes socially.
Mancini is aware of the 21-year-old's habit and does not approve but says it would only be an issue if Balotelli was his son.
Mancini said of his fellow Italian: "I know he smokes.
"For me it is not okay - but I am not his father or his mother!
"If he was my son I would go to him and kick him on the arse. But he is not my son.
"I told him, for me it is better if you don't smoke.
"I am against cigarettes - for this reason my son does not smoke.
"But there are players in Italy and here that do smoke.
"I don't think he smokes a lot of cigarettes, five or six a day - but I told him."
Balotelli, who has scored 11 goals this season, was infamously forced to move out of his house in Cheshire in October after fireworks set off from inside his bathroom sparked a blaze.
Mancini said: "He lights up the fireworks with the cigarettes!"
Despite continuing to attract headlines - Balotelli was also involved in a training ground bust-up with team-mate Micah Richards earlier this month - the former Inter Milan forward has been a much improved player this season.
Mancini has rotated him with Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero in an effort to keep all three forwards fresh and in top form and he hopes that policy will pay off during a tough January.
The Barclays Premier League title favourite begins the new year with a trip to Sunderland (Live on FOX Soccer, 11am ET) and then host Liverpool two days later.
They then face Manchester United in the FA Cup and have two more clashes with Liverpool in the Carling Cup semi-finals as well as league games against Wigan and Tottenham before the month ends.
Mancini is perceived to be unhappy at the congestion but he feels he has the squad to cope.
Mancini said: "If we win against Sunderland we take three points, like if we win against Liverpool.
"But the problem is we play these two games in 48 hours.
"It is impossible to play the same players. In these two games I need to change six or seven players.
"But I think if we play well we can beat Sunderland or Liverpool, even if we change the players. We have good players.
"If we change three or four players I don't think that will change a lot."
One player Mancini hopes will come into the reckoning is former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves.
The 30-year-old has made just three appearances since joining City in the summer in the hope of resurrecting his career after three injury-ravaged years at Manchester United.
Mancini said: "I hope he can play in the next week. He is okay but is not ready to play one game, 100%, in the Premier League.
"But in the last week he worked with the team, didn't have any problem and looked he could play in this month.
"When we took him we hoped he would be ready for January, 100%.
"When there is one player who doesn't play for two years, maybe he is okay for one week then after has a problem in his calf, his knee.
"Sometimes he has little problems but I hope he will be fully fit for January."
Full-backs Micah Richards and Aleksandar Kolarov are back in contention.
Right-back Richards was not risked in the Boxing Day draw at West Brom after a calf problem while left-back Kolarov has missed six games with a groin injury.
Sunderland defenders Phil Bardsley and Titus Bramble are major doubts.
Full-back Bardsley (thigh) and centre-half Bramble (Achilles/calf) both suffered injuries in the 1-1 Boxing Day draw with Everton, and with Michael Turner (knee) also on the casualty list, Martin O'Neill is short of defensive options.
Midfielder Kieran Richardson has not trained all week because of illness, but O'Neill is keeping his fingers crossed, while Connor Wickham, Fraizer Campbell and Craig Gordon (all knee) and Simon Mignolet (fractured nose and eye socket) remain on the sidelines.