Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini denies he gives Mario Balotelli special treatment.

In the past week he has said he considered substituting him after five minutes against Sunderland and joked that he might have punched him were he a team-mate.

Mancini said: "Mario stayed on the bench for five or six games in the start of the season.

"He paid a lot of money, a fine, for his behaviour, so this is not true (that he is treated differently).

"If Mario is not one of the best players it will be his fault, because he has everything for this.

"I hope in the last seven games he can score and we can talk about Mario only for this, because he played well, because he scored."