The Italy forward will miss Sunday's trip to Fulham as he serves the final game of a three-match ban he collecting following his dismissal at West Brom earlier this month.
It is yet another period on the sidelines for a player who arrived from Inter Milan with such high expectations this summer, but was injured on his debut in the Europa League qualifier against Timisoara.
Balotelli has still only made four appearances for City this term, a totally inadequate figure for Mancini's purposes, and one he needs to improve on.
"He must change his mentality," said Mancini. "He must think about playing because if he plays here he can score every game.
"He can't afford to talk with the referee. He needs to think about his job because he can make a difference on the pitch."
Source: PA
Source: PA