Italy, Gattuso: "Chiesa absent by his own choice. Kean should not have played"

Italian national team coach Gennaro Gattuso spoke in Coverciano in a press conference touching on several issues, including the absence of several important players in attack. Among them is Federico Chiesa: ” I speak often with him and you have to respect the choices, the problems that each of us has. I have to respect what the player tells me. More I cannot say, but the truth is this. He’s absent by his own choice”.

Kean, on the other hand, was forced to forfeit because of an injury: “He wasn&#8217t supposed to play, they threw him in and unfortunately he took a hit where he was already in discomfort. I am sorry he cannot be there, but we have other strikers who will give us a hand”.

On other names: “People like Zaniolo, Palestra and many other players have done interesting things. Then the choices are made with a criterion and I like to work with those who have been here for a while’ but the doors of Coverciano are open for everyone. We look at everyone. Even Berardi, no one doubts his qualities. I am following him, I know what he can give us but then I make choices”.

On the matches with Moldova and Norway, Gattuso demands attention: “It will not be a picnic, we are not here 7-8 days to walk around. I want to see maximum commitment, they are official matches and we are wearing the blue jersey. We will field in the first one those who have had little space and then in the second one we will change something else again. We have to think about us, not Norway”.