Roberto Mancini’s 34-man Italy squad confirmed: Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs players omitted as nine new names called up

By Oliver Thomas | 18 Sep 2026 21:15, Last updated: 18 Sep 2026 21:17

Roberto Mancini has confirmed his 34-man Italy squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League run successful his archetypal enactment since being re-appointed the nationalist squad caput coach.

The 61-year-old’s instrumentality was announced by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) astatine the extremity of July, pursuing Gennaro Gattuso’s exit and the Azzurri’s nonaccomplishment to suffice for a 3rd successive World Cup.

Mancini volition statesman his tenure with 4 League A Group 1 fixtures successful the Nations League crossed the September/October planetary break, facing Belgium, France and 2 games against Turkey.

Only six players from Mancini’s triumphant Euro 2020 squad stay successful the 34-man squad: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante and Giacomo Raspadori.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Marco Palestra - who has precocious been sidelined done wounded - Tottenham Hotspur’s Destiny Udogie and Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa person each been omitted from the nationalist squad set-up.

Two-cap Palestra made his planetary debut successful March, but Udogie has not played for Italy since June 2025, portion Chiesa was called up earlier this twelvemonth but has not featured for the Azzurri since Euro 2024.

Palestra, Udogie, Chiesa near retired arsenic Mancini calls up 9 caller players

Juventus trio Manuel Locatelli, Federico Gatti and Andrea Cambiaso, Napoli duo Leonardo Spinazzola and Alessandro Buongiorno, and Al-Qadsiah’s Mateo Retegui are among a fig of different notable absentees.

Mancini has alternatively decided to telephone up 9 caller players, including Brentford right-back Michael Kayode and 18-year-old Bologna goalkeeper Massimo Pessina.

Roma’s Daniele Ghilardi, Monza’s Eddy Kouadio, Cagliari’s Alessandro Romano, Sporting Lisbon’s Issa Doumbia, Sassuolo’s Sebastiano Esposito, Napoli’s Antonio Vergara and Nurnberg's Mohamed Ali Zoma person besides earned their archetypal call-up.

Borussia Dortmund guardant Samuele Inacio - the lad of a Brazilian begetter who has alternatively chosen to correspond the state of his commencement - has retained his spot successful Mancini’s squad on with chap 18-year-old Honest Ahanor, who is connected indebtedness astatine Crystal Palace from Chelsea.

Senior stars including Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori, Inter Milan duo Federico Dimarco and Nicolo Barella, Tottenham’s Sandro Tonali, and Como’s Moise Kean person besides been selected successful the Italy squad.

Italy volition clasp their archetypal grooming league astatine Coverciano adjacent Monday earlier kick-starting their Nations League run astatine location to Belgium astatine Stadio Olimpico connected September 25.

Three days later, the Azzurri volition question to Bursa to fastener horns with Turkey, earlier facing 2026 World Cup semi-finalists France successful Saint-Denis connected October 2.

Italy’s 4th fixture of the planetary interruption volition spot them invited Turkey to the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara connected October 5.