Balotelli May Start for Man City against Timisoara

According to several reports, it was thought that the former Inter Milan striker, who joined Man City only last arrived in the previous week, was too late to make the starting lineup for the squad.

On Tuesday, however, UEFA did actually confirm that Balotelli could be eligible to play in City’s opener in compliance with the rules which stipulate that a change to the original list can be made.

UEFA article 18.14 clearly states: "For the three qualifying rounds and the play-offs, one player on List A may be changed until 24.00 CET on the day before the relevant first-leg match, provided that the club's national association confirms in writing that the new player is eligible to play at domestic level at this time."

What may turn out to be a more pressing problem for Manchester City is the fact that Batoletti’s registration at the club needs to go through the formal channels and approval process to meet the UEFA and the Football association’s requirements. The deadline is Wednesday midnight.