Italy call 34 players, but Mancini snub for Retegui, Udogie, Zaccagni and Politano

Roberto Mancini has called up a massive 34 players for his first Italy squad, but notably omitted names such as Mateo Retegui, Mattia Zaccagni, Destiny Udogie, Matteo Gabbia and Matteo Politano. The Azzurri commence their second Mancini era with a Nations League campaign, facing Belgium, Turkiye, France, and a repeat fixture against Turkiye. Group A of the tournament awaits Italy on November 12 against France and November 15 against Belgium.

Among the 34 selected, nine players are making their senior Italy debuts. However, Mancini has left out a few prominent figures, including Manuel Locatelli, Marco Palestra, Federico Chiesa, Riccardo Orsolini, and Alex Meret, who are all currently injured. Retegui, who made his Italy debut in March 2023, has scored 11 goals in 28 appearances for the senior team, but his move to Al-Qadsiah and competition from other players seems to have cost him a spot.

Zaccagni, a regular for Napoli and captain of Lazio, has also been notably left out of the squad. Similarly, Politano, another consistent player for Napoli, has also been omitted. Gabbia, despite his club's strong start this season, has also been left behind. Udogie, on the other hand, is expected to have a fresh opportunity for Italy, having not played for the national team since 2023.