Roberto Mancini names 34-man Italy squad featuring nine new faces

Roberto Mancini has unveiled an expanded 34-man squad for Italy’s upcoming Nations League campaign. This marks the manager's first selection since returning to the national team bench at the end of July. His new era begins with a high-profile home fixture against Belgium on September 25 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

In a move to refresh the squad, Mancini has handed maiden call-ups to nine players. The debutants include goalkeeper Massimo Pessina, defenders Daniele Ghilardi, Michael Kayode, and Eddy Kouadio, midfielders Alessandro Romano and Issa Doumbia, and strikers Sebastiano Esposito, Antonio Vergara, and Mohamed Ali Zoma.

Alongside these new additions, the squad features notable returns for players previously sidelined from international duty. Fiorentina midfielder Nicolo Fagioli and Udinese attacker Nicolo Zaniolo have both been recalled, marking their first involvement since October 2024. Furthermore, Torino’s Rolando Mandragora earns a surprise return to the side, having last represented Italy in March 2021.

Meanwhile, Chelsea defender Marco Palestra remains unavailable for selection as he continues to recover from an ongoing injury that has kept him sidelined for the entire season thus far.