Brendan Rodgers has ruled out the possibility of Mario Balotelli returning to Italy on loan in the new year and insisted Liverpool can still look forward to an exciting second half of the season.

Liverpool does not expect Balotelli to play a central role for the rest of the season.

“It is not something I have even thought about, to be honest,” Rodgers said. “We have had a lot of games this season and a lot of competitions and at this moment the key for me is trying to keep this squad together.”