The 19-year-old, dropped countless times by former Inter coach Jose Mourinho last term for an array of antics, is likely to start in London alongside fellow debutant striker Amauri and recalled playmaker Antonio Cassano.
GEAR:Get an Italian shirt
"The idea of starting with Balotelli is that I want to use all the attacking potential at my disposal," new Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, who succeeded Marcello Lippi after their woeful World Cup group stage exit in June, told reporters.
Former Fiorentina boss Prandelli allowed players to pick their own shirt numbers for Tuesday, a novel way of building team unity in a squad including nine new call-ups and only eight players from the South Africa debacle.
Balotelli, who is being courted by Manchester City, displayed his trademark single-mindedness by immediately grabbing the number nine striker jersey with Cassano taking 10.
"I don't give any importance to numbers even if I understand that historically 10 makes fans think of fantasy," Prandelli added of the creative Cassano, ignored for two years by Lippi because of previous discipline problems.
World Cup goalkeeper Federico Marchetti has left the training base near Florence with a minor injury so Parma's Antonio Mirante has been called up as another new cap.
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