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Mancini names 41-man Italy squad amid virus concerns

November 7, 2020 GMT
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FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 file photo, Italy coach Roberto Mancini gestures during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italy and Poland at Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna, Italy. Italy coach Roberto Mancini has tested positive for the coronavirus days before the international break. The Italian soccer federation says that Mancini is “completely asymptomatic” and is self-isolating at his house in Rome. The Italy squad will meet up on Sunday. It plays an international friendly against Estonia on Wednesday and hosts Poland in the Nations League four days later. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)
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FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 file photo, Italy coach Roberto Mancini gestures during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between Italy and Poland at Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna, Italy. Italy coach Roberto Mancini has tested positive for the coronavirus days before the international break. The Italian soccer federation says that Mancini is “completely asymptomatic” and is self-isolating at his house in Rome. The Italy squad will meet up on Sunday. It plays an international friendly against Estonia on Wednesday and hosts Poland in the Nations League four days later. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — Italy coach Roberto Mancini named a 41-man squad on Saturday for the Azzurri’s upcoming matches as there are question marks over a number of players due to coronavirus concerns.

Players from six clubs — Fiorentina, Genoa, Inter Milan, Lazio, Roma and Sassuolo — are self-isolating because of COVID-19 cases in their squads.

The Italian soccer federation said they would join up with the national team “when agreed with the relevant health authorities.”

Lazio forward Ciro Immobile is among those players. Last season’s European Golden Shoe winner has had conflicting results for tests for COVID-19.

Mancini himself is currently self-isolating in his home in Rome after testing positive for the virus on Friday.

The enlarged squad sees first call-ups for Atalanta midfielder Matteo Pessina and AC Milan defender Davide Calabria, while Bologna midfielder Roberto Soriano is back in the squad more than four years after his last inclusion.

Italy faces Estonia in a friendly on Wednesday, then plays its final two UEFA Nations League group matches at home to Poland on Nov. 15 and at Bosnia-Herzegovina three days later.

Italy is second in Group 1 in League A, a point below Poland and a point above the Netherlands.

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Italy:

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino).

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Davide Calabria (AC Milan), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Danilo D’Ambrosio (Inter Milan), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint-Germain), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham), Luca Pellegrini (Genoa), Alessio Romagnoli (AC Milan), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma).

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter Milan), Gaetano Castrovilli (Fiorentina), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Roberto Soriano (Bologna), Sandro Tonali (AC Milan).

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Francesco Caputo (Sassuolo), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Shanghai Shenua), Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Moise Kean (Paris Saint-Germain), Kevin Lasagna (Udinese), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Pietro Pellegri (Monaco).

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