As Italy fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of England, Mancini was dealt with another blow with regards to availability of his players going forward.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 01: Roberto Mancini, Manager of Italy, looks on prior to kick off of during the 2022 Finalissima match between Italy and Argentina at Wembley Stadium on June 01, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Mancini to Deal with Two Player Absences Ahead of Malta Clash

As Italy fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of England at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Roberto Mancini was dealt with another blow regarding the availability of his players going forward. The Azzurri play Malta next in the UEFA EURO Qualifiers but will be without two of his main players.

Nicolo Barella and Leonardo Bonucci will be staying put in Italy and will not be traveling with the team to Malta next.

Barella went off during the second half against the Three Lions after he was fouled by Harry Maguire in the build-up to Mateo Retegui’s consolation. He will not be risked against Malta and will instead return to Milan to recover for Inter’s next matches after the international break.

On the other hand, veteran Bonucci was excluded from the squad despite being shortlisted for the game against England. The Juventus man will also return to Turin early.

Roberto Mancini will expect his side to bounce back from the loss as Italy prepare to meet Malta on Sunday.

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