Manchester City's Mario Balotelli has paid for his Europa League red card by being dropped from Italy coach Cesare Prandelli's squad.
The 20-year-old striker was expected to be part of the Azzurri squad for Friday's Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovenia in Ljubljana and a friendly in Kiev against Ukraine the following Tuesday.
However, Prandelli has opted to wield the axe and it appears Balotelli has been punished following his red card for a high tackle on Goran Popov in last week's Europa League match at Dynamo Kiev at Eastlands.
Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who has also been dropped from Prandelli's plans following his sending off for an elbow on an opponent during Roma's Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk, revealed that his absence is due to him breaking the coach's 'code of ethics'.
"There is a code of ethics and I have broken it with a horrible gesture as it has been described by the press," De Rossi said.
"I hope I can return very soon to the national team."