Roberto Mancini’s 34-man Italy squad confirmed: Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs players omitted as nine new names called up

Roberto Mancini has confirmed his 34-man Italy squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign in his first act since being re-appointed the national team head coach.

The 61-year-old’s return was announced by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) at the end of July, following Gennaro Gattuso’s exit and the Azzurri’s failure to qualify for a third successive World Cup.

Mancini will begin his tenure with four League A Group 1 fixtures in the Nations League across the September/October international break, facing Belgium, France and two games against Turkey.

Only six players from Mancini’s triumphant Euro 2020 team remain in the 34-man squad: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante and Giacomo Raspadori.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Marco Palestra - who has recently been sidelined through injury - Tottenham Hotspur’s Destiny Udogie and Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa have all been omitted from the national team set-up.

Two-cap Palestra made his international debut in March, but Udogie has not played for Italy since June 2025, while Chiesa was called up earlier this year but has not featured for the Azzurri since Euro 2024.

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Palestra, Udogie, Chiesa left out as Mancini calls up nine new players

Juventus trio Manuel Locatelli, Federico Gatti and Andrea Cambiaso, Napoli duo Leonardo Spinazzola and Alessandro Buongiorno, and Al-Qadsiah’s Mateo Retegui are among a number of other notable absentees.

Mancini has instead decided to call up nine new players, including Brentford right-back Michael Kayode and 18-year-old Bologna goalkeeper Massimo Pessina.

Roma’s Daniele Ghilardi, Monza’s Eddy Kouadio, Cagliari’s Alessandro Romano, Sporting Lisbon’s Issa Doumbia, Sassuolo’s Sebastiano Esposito, Napoli’s Antonio Vergara and Nurnberg's Mohamed Ali Zoma have also earned their first call-up.

Borussia Dortmund forward Samuele Inacio - the son of a Brazilian father who has instead chosen to represent the country of his birth - has retained his place in Mancini’s squad along with fellow 18-year-old Honest Ahanor, who is on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea.

Senior stars including Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori, Inter Milan duo Federico Dimarco and Nicolo Barella, Tottenham’s Sandro Tonali, and Como’s Moise Kean have also been selected in the Italy squad.

Italy will hold their first training session at Coverciano next Monday before kick-starting their Nations League campaign at home to Belgium at Stadio Olimpico on September 25.

Three days later, the Azzurri will travel to Bursa to lock horns with Turkey, before facing 2026 World Cup semi-finalists France in Saint-Denis on October 2.

Italy’s fourth fixture of the international break will see them welcome Turkey to the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on October 5.