Italy turn to four first-time call-ups for Nations League double-header

Italy manager Roberto Mancini has named a 31-player squad for the Nations League matches against France and Belgium, with four players receiving their first senior international call-ups.

Italy will face France in Milan on 12 November before travelling to Brussels to play Belgium on 15 November.

The uncapped players are 20-year-old Milan forward Alfadjo Cisse, 19-year-old Como midfielder Mattia Liberali, 17-year-old Como player Riccardo Cassano and Parma midfielder Simone Lontani, who was born in 2008.

Cassano and Lontani will take part only in the first part of Italy’s training camp before joining the under-18 and under-19 squads respectively. Cisse and Liberali, meanwhile, will remain with the senior team for the entire camp.

The squad is due to meet on Sunday evening at the Coverciano training centre to begin preparations for the two fixtures, according to French newspaper L’Equipe.

Mancini has selected Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi, Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Guglielmo Vicario of Juventus.

The defensive options are Crystal Palace’s Honest Ahanor, Alessandro Bastoni and Federico Dimarco of Inter, Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori, Daniele Gila of Roma, Brentford’s Michael Kayode, Roma defender Gianluca Mancini, Chelsea’s Marco Palestra and Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini.

In midfield, Italy have included Inter’s Nicolo Barella, Como’s Riccardo Cassano, Sporting Lisbon player Issa Doumbia, Nicolo Fagioli of Fiorentina, Lazio midfielder Davide Frattesi, Parma’s Simone Lontani, Roma’s Niccolo Pisilli, Como’s Samuele Ricci, Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romano and Tottenham’s Sandro Tonali.

The attacking players selected are Bologna’s Nicolo Cambiaghi, Milan’s Alfadjo Cisse, Francesco Pio Esposito of Inter, Sassuolo forward Sebastiano Esposito, Luca Koleosho of Paris FC, Como’s Mattia Liberali, Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca, Napoli forward Antonio Vergara and Nicolo Zaniolo of Udinese.

The call-ups of the four teenagers represent the main change in Mancini’s squad for the two Nations League fixtures. Cassano and Lontani will have a limited role in the senior camp because of their subsequent commitments with Italy’s youth teams, while Cisse and Liberali have been included for the full international preparation period.

Italy’s opening match of the international break will be against France in Milan on 12 November. Four days later, Mancini’s side will meet Belgium in Brussels.