Italy coach Cesare Prandelli says that forward Antonio Cassano's spat with his club Sampdoria is causing problems for the national team.
Cassano has sat out Sampdoria's last four Serie A matches following a run-in with club president Riccardo Garrone, prompting Prandelli to leave him off Italy's squad for Wednesday's friendly against Romania in Austria.
"He realized right away that he's created complications for our plans with the national team. I can't offer any continuity to my ideas in attack," Prandelli said Monday. "Let's hope we can get the plan back on track in the spring."
Cassano reportedly insulted Garrone in a verbal tirade a few weeks ago.
Cassano's career has been marked by a series of behavioral problems, and he was left off Italy's squad for the last two World Cups by Marcello Lippi.
"When he's ready to play again - with Samp or somewhere else, I'm prepared to call him up again," Prandelli said. "It seemed like all his problems were solved and I don't know what could have happened. Like I've said many times, he's one of those youths that always needs to be helped."
"His foul didn't warrant the punishment of not being called up," the coach said. "I saw the match and it was a foul in the normal course of action. I hope that Mario can repeat with the national team the extraordinary performances he has displayed in England."
Balotelli missed Italy's opening four matches of European Championship due to a knee injury but showed he is back in form by scoring twice against West Brom before getting sent off.
Italy is still without goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon following back surgery and defender Giorgio Chiellini, while midfielders Angelo Palombo and Riccardo Montolivo are also out injured.
The absences led Prandelli to call up Lazio's Argentine-born midfielder Cristian Ledesma for the first time.
Ledesma met his wife in Italy, his two children were born here and he said he considers himself Italian and even knows the words to the national anthem.
Besides Balotelli, the other strikers in the squad are Alberto Gilardino, Giampaolo Pazzini, Fabio Quagliarella and Giuseppe Rossi.
