Italy will travel to Turkey without 10 players as Roberto Mancini manages his squad ahead of a demanding Nations League week, with Paris FC defender Diego Coppola among those left at Coverciano.
The Azzurri face Turkey on Monday at 20:45 in their second Nations League fixture, but Mancini has trimmed the initial 34-man selection rather than take the full group away. The decision is intended to give several players time to recover before Friday’s meeting with France, also scheduled for 20:45.
Coppola and Barella rested after Belgium defeat
Coppola, Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella and Roma defender Gianluca Mancini all started Friday’s 2-0 defeat to Belgium. None of the three will make the trip to Turkey as Italy seek fresher options for the next stage of the international window.
For Coppola, the call-up had brought another significant moment after his progress with Paris FC, but his immediate international involvement will pause at the national training centre outside Florence.
Ten players remain at Coverciano
The players staying behind are Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor, Barella, Coppola, Borussia Dortmund forward Samuele Inacio, Monza defender Eddy Kouadio, Cagliari attacker Daniel Maldini, Gianluca Mancini, Bologna goalkeeper Massimo Pessina, Como midfielder Samuele Ricci and Nuremberg forward Mohamed Ali Zoma.
Pessina, Kouadio, Ricci and Inacio were also absent from the group used against Belgium, meaning they will miss a second successive match during the break.
Bastoni returns after suspension
There is one return for the Turkey trip. Alessandro Bastoni has been brought back into the squad after completing a ban handed down following his red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina in March.
Italy now head east with a reduced travelling party, balancing the need for a response after Belgium with the prospect of France waiting at the end of the week.
