Mancini Set to Call Up Several Italy First-Timers

Roberto Mancini has pre-selected more than 70 players for his first squad since returning to the Italy bench and is whittling the list down to roughly 30 names. A few youngsters who wouldn’t be regulars will stay in the U-21 ahead of the Euro.

According to Sky, at least seven players will earn their maiden call-up: in addition to Issa Doumbia and Alesandro Romano, who had already been rumored, Napoli’s Antonio Vergara, who’s also eligible to star for Mexico, Brentford’s Michael Kayode, Sassuolo’s Sebastiano Esposito, and Atalanta’s Gianluca Gaetano. Bologna’s Massimo Pessina and Roma’s Daniele Ghilardi are on the bubble.

Mancini will arguably take his biggest gamble with Mohamed Ali Zoma. After blossoming with Albinoleffe in Serie C, he headed to FC Nürnberg. He has notched 19 goals and 5 assists in 35 matches in the Zweite Bundesliga.

As for the ‘oriundi,’ Romano has made his choice, while Matteo Palma and Nicolò Tresoldi, who have represented Germany so far, have not. Samuel Inacio, who has Brazilian parents, has already debuted. He needs three more appearances to be locked down for good.

The coach is high on Alphadjo Cissé, Constantino Favasuli, Niccolò Pisilli, Cher Ndour, Luca Koleosho, Antonio Raimondo, Emanuele Lulli, Mattia Liberali, and Simone Lontani as well. However, the U-21 side would be too depleted if they were all called up for the senior team. They could be promoted in case of injuries.

Italy won’t be whole in that regard: Manuel Locatelli and Federico Chiesa are on the shelf. Marco Palestra, Riccardo Orsolini, and Nicolò Zaniolo are iffy because of recent muscular injuries. Mancini will lean on a 4-3-3 formation.