Italy, Spalletti’s call-ups: two excellent exclusions and one surprise

Italy, Spalletti’s call-ups: two excellent exclusions and one surprise

Italian national team head coach Luciano Spalletti has announced the list of 27 Azzurri called up for the European Championship qualifying matches against Malta and England, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14 and Tuesday, Oct. 17.

First surprise call-up to the national team for Tottenham fullback Destiny Udogie: the full-back born in Nogara, in the province of Verona, played for two years at Udinese before moving to the Premier League.

Returning to the Azzurri are Moise Kean and Jack Bonaventura, while Mateo Retegui and Ciro Immobile remain excluded due to physical problems. There'è instead Federico Chiesa, despite the latest ailments with Juventus.

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Ivan Provedel (Lazio), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham);
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Inter), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Matteo Darmian (Inter), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Destiny Udogie (Tottenham);
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Giacomo Bonaventura (Fiorentina), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle);
Strikers: Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Moise Kean (Juventus), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), Nicolò Zaniolo (Aston Villa)