Coach Roberto Mancini stuck with the group that won Euro 2020 for the upcoming Final Four of the Nations League. Italy will face Spain in the semi-final in Milan next Wednesday. Belgium and France are squaring off in Turin in the other game. The third-place playoff will take place at the Allianz Stadium Sunday afternoon, the final at San Siro later that day.
#Nazionale ??
? I 23 #Azzurri convocati dal Ct #Mancini per la semifinale di #NationsLeague contro la #Spagna ??
I dettagli ?? https://t.co/pZc8WBKqRT#VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/YRwNZAFoaE
— Nazionale Italiana ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri) September 30, 2021
UEFA went back to a 23-man squad list, while 26 players were available during the Euro. Mancini left out Gaetano Castrovilli and Andrea Belotti, who have missed multiple games due to injury, and Alessandro Florenzi, who is about to get knee surgery. Leonardo Spinazzola is rehabbing after tearing his Achilles tendon in the summer.
The only new addition is Lorenzo Pellegrini. He was supposed to participate in the traveling competition. However, he suffered a late thigh strain and was replaced by Matteo Pessina. Mancini decided to exclude Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Zaniolo, among others.
The coach spoke after receiving an honorary degree in Urbino yesterday: “We had some issues against Spain during the Euro, and they played very well. We could call up just 23 players this time, and we could not do more. Everybody can join the group if they deserve it, regardless of whether they were with us in the summer. Clearly, it would help us if Italians saw more playing time in Serie A. But I realize it is not easy. Every coach tries to put together the best possible team, and somebody has to stay out.”