Italy Lose Some Pieces Ahead of the World Cup Playoffs | OneFootball

Gennaro Gattuso won’t have the whole pool at his disposal while picking players for the upcoming crucial World Cup play-offs, where Italy will face Northern Ireland and eventually Bosnia or Wales if they prevail in the first match.

According to Sky, the Azzurri received good news on Sandro Tonali, who bowed out due to a groin problem versus Barcelona. His problem is minor, and he has good chances of recovering in time.

The gaffer had pre-selected Marco Verratti, but he suffered a knee injury that required surgery. Mattia Zaccagni strained two thigh muscles due to a contusion in the recent Milan clash and will be sidelined for a month or so. Antonio Vergara was in line for his maiden call-up, but he’s nursing a plantar fascia strain that will keep him on the shelf for a while. Giovanni Di Lorenzo has been absent for a while.

The Italy boss is hopeful Alessandro Bastoni and Moise Kean will make it out unscathed in their next fixtures after dealing with knocks. The Fiorentina star has been routinely hindered by ankle and tibia issues this year. Instead, Giacomo Raspadori returned from a thigh strain against Bayern Munich.

Verratti being unavailable and the uncertainty about Tonali improve Davide Frattesi and Niccolò Pisilli’s chances of making the squad. Matteo Politano has an edge over other options. Instead, Giorgio Scalvini and Diego Coppola will complete the defense, and Francesco Pio Esposito and Gianluca Scamacca will add depth up front.

UPDATE: Federico Chiesa is returning to the squad after two years, edging out Riccardo Orsolini, Federico Bernardeschi and Daniel Maldini. Guglielmo Vicario is out due to injury, Tuttomercatoweb reports. Relative to the previous call-ups, Raoul Bellanova and Samuele Ricci are also missing.