Sunday 28 December 2014 12:44, UK
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has insisted Mario Balotelli will not be going out on loan in the January transfer window.
Reports in Italy claim the striker – who has yet to score a Premier League goal for the Reds – may be looking for a return to Inter Milan to resurrect his career.
Balotelli has found the net only twice in 15 games since moving to Liverpool from AC Milan for £16 million in the summer.
Ahead of Sunday’s game with Swansea City, Rodgers insists he has no plans to weaken a forward line which is already missing the injured Daniel Sturridge.
He said: "It's not something that I have even thought about to be honest.
“We've had a lot of games this season in a lot of competitions.
“At this moment in time the key for me is trying to keep the squad together."
With the Reds' problems up front, Raheem Sterling has been leading the line as a forward and has scored three goals in his last three matches.
And Rodgers believes that he has a lot to offer in a position which he is quickly adapting to.
"I think Raheem and anyone with that type of pace will always stretch teams and will always make defenders think," he said.
"He's a different type and not your natural number nine.
"For me it's more about the position than the player. For the team to function well, that pace in the team is very important for us."
