Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has said that in training Mario Balotelli has not been good enough to make it into his team.
The 24-year-old Italian international is yet to score in the Premiership and was omitted from the team for Saturdays FA Cup fourth round tie with Bolton Wanderers.
Increasing the pressure on Balotelli is the fact that Daniel Sturridge will be fit to face West Ham next Saturday.
The 25-year-old has been side-lined with a thigh injury since last August following on from a season in which he scored 28-goals for the Reds, and now back training with the squad it could be even harder for the former AC Milan striker to get a place in the team.
“He knows exactly what is required to be in this squad before he can be in the team,” Rodgers said of the striker.
“I am judging it every day in training – Mario is exactly the same as every other player, there is no special treatment for anyone,” added Rodgers.
“Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert are working tirelessly in training and when they go on they have contributed and young Jordan Rossiter, on the bench today, has been brilliant in training and I have to judge it on that.
“If you want to contribute you have to be at it every single day in training in order to be in the squad on matchday.
“It is difficult for him [Balotelli] but he knows the level of [where] this team is at – you see the aggression in our pressing and if you can’t do that you are not going to be a part of what this team is trying to achieve.
“We had an hour or so yesterday chatting and he understands where he is at.”
Liverpool was held to a scorless draw by Bolton Saturday night.
“It was a really good game. I enjoyed it – it was a great atmosphere and a credit to both teams. I thought we were excellent,” Rodgers told BBC Sport.
“We did everything but score. I am really proud of the team. We kept knocking on the door, their keeper made some great saves.
“We are still in the competition. There are games which if you are of lesser character you might lose. This is a very prestigious competition; we want to do well in it.”
