With a place in the last 16 of the European Championship already within touching distance, Italy welcome neighbours Switzerland to Rome on Wednesday, and are expected to keep a settled side.

A vital cog in the Azzurri engine room, Paris Saint-Germain midfield maestro Marco Verratti has returned from training alone during the past week, after a late-season knee injury prevented him from participating in the opening night win over Turkey.

Verratti played 20 minutes of a training game against former club Pescara's primavera team at the weekend, so could now make the bench against the Swiss. In his absence, Sassuolo's Manuel Locatelli will once more join Chelsea schemer Jorginho and recent Scudetto-winner Nicolo Barella in a midfield three.

La Nazionale's head coach Roberto Mancini is unlikely to make many changes to a successful starting XI, but right-back Alessandro Florenzi is doubtful after aggravating a calf problem last time out. His half-time replacement against Turkey was Napoli's Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who is competing with Rafael Toloi to take the starting spot alongside a long-established central pair.

Juventus stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini, now 36, and Leonardo Bonucci (34) have earned a combined 209 caps coming into this game, and are expected to start at the heart of Italy's defence - with a potential rest for one or both coming in the third game versus Wales, if qualification is already assured.

In attack, meanwhile, Lazio sharpshooter Ciro Immobile got off the mark last Friday, so retains the centre-forward spot ahead of Andrea Belotti, with Federico Chiesa awaiting an opportunity from the bench should a minor injury concern for Domenico Berardi cause his early withdrawal.

As a precaution, Berardi will be monitored at Italy's Coverciano headquarters in the build-up to the match, but should still be fit to play from the start on Wednesday.

Italy possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Spinazzola; Barella, Jorginho, Locatelli; Berardi, Immobile, Insigne

> Click here to see how Switzerland could line up for Wednesday's Group A game

Written by
Jonathan O'Shea