Italy striker Mario Balotelli has undergone successful surgery on a groin injury and may be playing again in as little as four weeks, his club AC Milan said on Wednesday.

Previous reports had suggested he would miss between six to 12 weeks, harming his hopes of a recall to the Italy squad ahead of next summer's European Championships in France.

"Mario Balotelli was operated on in Munich. The procedure was a success and his convalescence should be around four weeks," explained AC Milan.

On loan from Liverpool the forward has made only four appearances since re-joining Milan after struggling with his niggling groin over the past month.

After Italy's first-round exit from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Balotelli became a scapegoat for their generally poor performances.