Italy may play the Round of 16 of the Euro against Austria without Giorgio Chiellini and Alessandro Florenzi. With three days to go, there is pessimism about their recoveries from injury. The Juventus defender subbed off in the first half of the Switzerland game due to a thigh pull. Instead, the fullback has missed the last two matches because of a calf contracture. They both practiced on the side Tuesday after the day off, Sky Sport reports.
Domenico Berardi was surprisingly missing from the squad list against Wales, but he is fully fit. He should start over Federico Chiesa Saturday. Francesco Acerbi is the favorite over Alessandro Bastoni to replace Chiellini, if need be. Coach Roberto Mancini has only two real doubts concerning the lineup for the next Euro bout. Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Rafael Toloi are neck-and-neck to get the nod at right-back. Marco Verratti looked good in his return and is challenging Manuel Locatelli to play in the midfield.
In the meantime, three Serie A teams have accounted for the most goals in the Euro so far. Inter are atop of the standing with six as Romelu Lukaku hit the net three times, Ivan Perisic twice, and Milan Skriniar once. Juventus are right behind them thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s haul and Aaron Ramsey and Alvaro Morata’s contributions. Atalanta come in third position, outperforming several continental giants. Robin Gosens, Aleksey Miranchuk, Matteo Pessina, and Joakim Maehle have found the target once. Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona, Liverpool, PSG, Manchester City, and Bayer Leverkusen have registered three goals each.