Balotelli to miss Confed Cup semis
Italian striker, Mario Balotelli is out of Italy’s Confederations Cup semi-final with Spain after picking up a leg injury.
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Balotelli, who has struck twice in the tournament, is also a doubt for the final or third-placed play-off on Sunday.
An Italy spokesman said: “The examinations carried out this afternoon in Fortaleza on Mario Balotelli showed a grade-one tear in the quadriceps muscle of the left leg.
“The player will not be available for the semi-final against Spain on Thursday, June 27 and in the coming days his condition will be evaluated for the match on the 30th.”
World Cup champions, Spain, set up the semi-final date with Italy after defeating Nigeria 3-0 with two goals from Jordi Alba and another from Fernando Torres last Sunday.
Although the final score was emphatic, it could have been much closer if Nigeria had converted some of their many clear chances in the first half. At some moments Spain looked vulnerable to the African champions' fast breaks.
Uruguay picked the other semi-final ticket from Group B by ending Tahiti’s campaign, with an 8-0 win in a match that saw two red cards, a saved penalty and four goals from Abel Hernandez.
Hernandez scored a hat trick in first-half, Luis Suarez also continued his duel with Diego Forlan as his late brace saw him become Uruguay's all-time top scorer.
Uruguay will now face Brazil tomorrow.
