Mancini Names 34-Man Italy Squad for Return

Roberto Mancini named a 34-man squad for his first matches back in charge of Italy, and only six of them were part of the side that won EURO 2020 under him.

The Nations League fixtures against Belgium, Turkey and France mark Mancini's return to the Azzurri after he walked away in August 2023. Of the group that lifted the trophy in the summer of 2021, only goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, defenders Alessandro Bastoni and Giovanni Di Lorenzo, midfielders Nicolò Barella and Bryan Cristante, and forward Giacomo Raspadori remain.

Nine players received their first call-up: Massimo Pessina, Daniele Ghilardi, Michael Kayode, Eddy Kouadio, Alessandro Romano, Issa Doumbia, Sebastiano Esposito, Antonio Vergara and Mohamed Ali Zoma.

Doumbia's inclusion is a first for Sporting CP's midfielder, who moved to the Portuguese side in July and has scored twice since. Zoma, also 22, plays in midfield for Nürnberg, where he has arrived in February and scored 9 times. Di Lorenzo, at 33 the senior figure among the survivors of 2021, has been at Napoli since November 2020 and has 17 goals for the club.

The squad in full:

• Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Massimo Pessina (Bologna), Guglielmo Vicario
• Defenders: Honest Ahanor (Crystal Palace), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Diego Coppola (Paris FC), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Daniele Ghilardi (Roma), Michael Kayode (Brentford), Eddy Kouadio (Monza), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta)
• Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Issa Doumbia (Sporting CP), Nicolò Fagioli (Fiorentina), Davide Frattesi (Lazio), Rolando Mandragora (Torino), Alessandro Romano (Cagliari), Sandro Tonali (Tottenham)
• Forwards: Nicolò Cambiaghi (Bologna), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Sebastiano Esposito (Sassuolo), Samuele Inacio (Borussia), Moise Kean (Como), Daniel Maldini (Cagliari), Giacomo Raspadori and Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Antonio Vergara (Napoli), Nicolò Zaniolo (Udinese), Mohamed Ali Zoma (Nürnberg)

France, the first opponent named among the three, sit top of their World Cup group on 9 points from 3 matches, with Kylian Mbappé on 11 goals. Belgium are also first in their group on 5 points, led by Charles De Ketelaere with 5.

Zaniolo's Udinese, by contrast, are 13th in Serie A on 4 points after 4 games, with Arthur Atta and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp their joint top scorers on 3 apiece.

The size of the squad, and the number of uncapped players in it, points to Mancini using these fixtures to take a fresh look at the group before Italy's next serious business.