Balotelli, who has missed three months of the season due to a groin injury, scored the penalty that scraped a 1-0 win for Milan over third tier Alessandria in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday.
"We know Balotelli, (Kevin-Prince) Boateng and the others that have played less can't quite come through a full match yet, but the only way to build up match fitness is by giving them game time," said the coach to the club's official channel.
Sixth-placed Milan play local rivals Inter, fourth in the league, on Sunday evening in a fixture that is always a highlight of the Serie A season.
(Reporting by Silvia Recchimuzzi in Gdynia; Editing by Keith Weir)
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