Official: Mancini leaves 10 Italy players in Coverciano ahead of Turkey clash | OneFootball

Nicolò Barella, Honest Ahanor and Gianluca Mancini are among the ten players who will follow a ‘specific training program’ in Coverciano over the next two days and won’t be available against Turkey on Monday.

Italy coach Roberto Mancini has decided on the ten players who won’t be eligible against Turkey tomorrow.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – OCTOBER 15: Roberto Mancini coach of Saudi Arabia reacts during the FIFA World Cup Asian 3rd Qualifier Group C match between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain at King Abdullah Sports City on October 15, 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

List of unavailable Italy players for Turkey clash

Mancini’s original squad was composed of 34 players, but for Nations League games only 23 are available, so 11 must go to the stands. Udinese attacker Nicolò Zaniolo already pulled out on Saturday, so Mancini had to cut ten more players.

The FIGC announced Sunday morning in a statement that the players who will follow a “specific training program” in Coverciano are: Honest Ahanor, Nicolò Barella, Diego Coppola, Samuele Inacio, Eddy Kouadio, Daniel Maldini, Gianluca Mancini, Massimo Pessina, Samuele Ricci and Mohamed Ali Zoma.

ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 25: Nicolò Barella of Italy kicks the ball during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and Belgium at Stadio Olimpico on September 25, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi/Getty Images)

Barella, Coppola and Mancini started against Belgium on Friday; Maldini and Zoma came on in the second half, while Inacio, Kouadio, Ricci and Pessina had already been left out of the opening game. Ahanor was on the bench against Belgium but did not play.

The FIGC says that these ten players will work alongside part of Mancini’s staff, who won’t travel to Turkey either: Massimo Maccarone, Cristiano Lupatelli, Giulio Nuciari and Luca Bossi.

Italy will fly to Bursa, Turkey, today, with Mancini and an Azzurri player holding a pre-match press conference at 17:15 CET [16:15 BST].

After the game against Turkey, Italy will face France away on October 2 and Turkey at home on October 5.