(Reuters) – Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was involved in a training ground bust-up with volatile forward Mario Balotelli on Thursday, the Manchester Evening News reported.

Italian striker Balotelli provoked Mancini when he mistimed a tackle on midfielder Scott Sinclair and the pair tussled as coaches tried to separate them, the paper said on its website(www.menmedia.co.uk).

Manchester City's coach Roberto Mancini (R) reacts ahead of their English Premier League football match against Sunderland in Sunderland, northern England December 26, 2012. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis

Balotelli, 22, left the training session hastily before driving away from the Carrington complex.

Balotelli last month accepted a club fine of 340,000 pounds ($553,700) for misdemeanours on and off the pitch and Mancini said he was ready to give him another chance.

(Reporting by Tom Pilcher, Editing by xx)

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