Italy coach Giampiero Ventura has said Nice striker Mario Balotelli can have hope of a return to the national team but warned that his past did not do him any favours.
Ventura will name his squad for a forthcoming World Cup qualifier in Liechtenstein and a friendly against Germany.
And Balotelli's form at Nice has strengthened calls for the former Liverpool forward to be recalled, with Graziano Pelle out of the picture after refusing to shake Ventura's hand when substituted against Spain last month.
Ventura told La Stampa: "If we're talking about hope, then I also have hope that I will win the lottery.
"Balotelli needs to ask himself why everybody has ever questioned him for non-footballing reasons."
Balotelli, 26, has scored six goals in five Ligue 1 outings for the Ligue 1 leaders and he said last month that he expected to be part of Ventura's next squad selection.
In midfield, Claudio Marchisio of Juventus is set for a return after getting minutes under his belt after a lengthy injury absence.
"In terms of his characteristics, he's a player this national team has missed a lot," Ventura said.
He added that he was confident in his players' capabilities, saying: "My young Italy team can win in Spain.
"We want to qualify for the World Cup from a group in which we were not the No. 1 seeds.
"I am building a new Italy and this is a historic moment for us in which we need to rebuild. We need to think about a generation change."