BRESCIA, Italy (AP) — Mario Balotelli has been dropped from the Brescia squad for Sunday’s Serie A match at Roma following a training ground dispute with coach Fabio Grosso.

Balotelli was sent off from a Brescia training session on Thursday by Grosso for lack of dedication.

Grosso said on Saturday: “I don’t want to minimize nor blow out of proportion what happened with Mario ... but I demand a certain tempo and a certain intensity from everyone.

“He has great talent but I can only help him to a certain point.”

The 29-year-old Balotelli has two goals in seven matches since joining his hometown club and returning to Serie A.

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Balotelli was included in Roberto Mancini’s first two Italy squads, but has not been called up in more than a year and his chances of returning to the squad for the 2020 European Championship grow ever fainter.

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