Roberto Mancini names 34-man Italy squad for Nations League fixtures featuring nine new players

Mancini has revealed his 34-man squad for Italy’s upcoming Nations League campaign. The manager, who returned to the national team bench at the end of July after signing a contract until 2030, has made bold choices for his first fixtures back. Italy have a busy two-week international break ahead, during which they will face Vincenzo Montella’s Türkiye twice, as well as taking on Belgium and France. The new era for Mancini kicks off when Italy host Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Friday, September 25.

Mancini has opted to refresh the squad by handing maiden call-ups to nine players. The new faces include Bologna goalkeeper Massimo Pessina, Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi, and Brentford full-back Michael Kayode. They are joined by Monza defender Eddy Kouadio, Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romano, and Sporting CP talent Issa Doumbia.

The attacking options have also been bolstered with the inclusion of Sassuolo striker Sebastiano Esposito, Napoli forward Antonio Vergara, and Nurnberg striker Mohamed Ali Zoma. Alongside the debutants, Mancini has kept faith in Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor and Borussia Dortmund forward Samuele Inacio following their involvement in recent friendlies.

The squad also features several notable recalls for players who have been absent from the international setup for extended periods. Mancini has recalled Fiorentina midfielder Nicolò Fagioli and Udinese attacker Nicolò Zaniolo, neither of whom have represented Italy since October 2024. Meanwhile, Torino midfielder Rolando Mandragora earns a surprise recall, with his last appearance for the national side coming back in March 2021. As anticipated, Chelsea defender Marco Palestra has been left out of the selection, as he has yet to make an appearance this season due to an ongoing injury.

The Italy squad will gather for their first training session at the Coverciano camp on Monday, September 21. Following the clash against Belgium, they travel to face Türkiye on September 28. The Azzurri then visit Zinedine Zidane's France on Friday, October 2, before concluding the international window by hosting Türkiye at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna on October 5.