Nicolò Zaniolo leaves the national team’s training camp, but he isn’t injured: what happened?

A surprise at the national team’s training camp on the eve of its upcoming international matches. Nicolò Zaniolo has left Coverciano and will not be available to Roberto Mancini for the matches against France and Belgium. This decision is not related to any physical issues, and no further details have been provided—at least for now. The Udinese forward, who has officially left for personal reasons, will therefore not take part in the Azzurri’s final two matches in the Nations League group stage.

For Zaniolo, this marks another setback in his journey toward earning a spot on the national team, although the reasons this time are different from what happened in September. During his previous call-up, in fact, the 1999-born player was forced to leave the squad due to a muscle issue in his right thigh. This time, however, there are no reported physical issues, and his departure is linked exclusively to personal matters, regarding which no further information has emerged.

The return to the national team represented an important opportunity for the Udinese player, who had been absent from the Azzurri’s fixtures for over two and a half years. Roberto Mancini had decided to rely on him once again, particularly in light of his performance during his time in Friuli, with the intention of entrusting him with an important role within a particularly young squad. Zaniolo had also been tested in the attacking trio during the first training sessions at Coverciano, but he will now be unable to repay the head coach’s trust.

His absence therefore forces Mancini to reconsider his attacking options ahead of the match against France, scheduled for Thursday, November 12, at San Siro, and the subsequent away game against Belgium, set for Sunday, November 15, in Brussels. It remains to be seen whether the head coach will decide to call up another player to replace him.