AC Milan boss Sinisa Mihajlovic will reportedly give striker Mario Balotelli another chance this weekend to convince the club to sign him from Liverpool.
The 25-year-old is currently on loan with the Serie A giants for the season, but has struggled to prove that he deserves another permanent opportunity at the club.
Although injury has been a significant factor in that as it has forced him to miss a big part of the campaign, he has struggled since returning to earn real playing time under the Serbian tactician.
However, after scoring in the Coppa Italia semi-final win over Alessandria in midweek, the Italian international could be in line to start against Sassuolo this weekend, as reported by Football Italia.
M’Baye Niang could be out for the rest of the season after being injured in a car crash last month, and with Jeremy Menez still working his way back to full fitness after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Balotelli has an opportunity to secure a first-team spot in the coming weeks.
With Milan chasing a top-three finish in order to qualify for the Champions League, it is a crucial time in the season for the club. In turn, if Balotelli can prove that he can consistently be an influential figure in the team when they need him most, then it may well lead to a deal in the summer.
After Jurgen Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers at Anfield earlier this season, it remains to be seen whether or not the German tactician has any use for the former Manchester City and Inter striker in his squad moving forward.
As a result, this summer could turn out to be another crucial crossroads in the career of Balotelli who continues to fall short of expectations.