Italy lost one staple before the start of the pre-Euro retreat in Coverciano, as Francesco Acerbi bowed out due to a sports hernia. The Inter defender suffered from it late in the season, missing multiple matches. He will undergo surgery to address it and be ready for the 22025’s25’s opening.
According to Sky, Luciano Spalletti told Federico Gatti to stay ready didn’tdn’t call him up right away. The Juventus center-back will train in Turin on his own for now. The Azzurri boss has to cut three more men from the provisional squad.
Even without Acerbi, Italy have ten other defenders in the roster, most of whom can play in a three-man line: Alessandro Bastoni, Alessandro Buongiorno, Riccardo Calafiori, Matteo Darmian, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Gianluca Mancini, and Giorgio Scalvini. Midfielder Bryan Cristante has done it in a pinch at Roma.
Spalletti deployed 3-4-2-1 instead of his usual 4-3-3 in two out of eight matches at the helm of the Azzurri. He’s planning to test things out before the tournament to make a definitive call about which tactics to use.
Our Take on Italy and Acerbi
It’s a pity more for him than for the national team, as he’ll miss out on probably his last chance to play in a major international competition given his age, and he has just a Euro under his belt. Buongiorno is the only pure anchor of a three-man defense left. Other players can adapt, but it’d be risky in a high-pressure situation.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |