Gennaro Gattuso has submitted Italy's squad for the World Cup play-off semifinal versus Northern Ireland. It is a compact list with a few notable absences and one clear backup plan for the right flank.
Who did not make the cut
Gianluca Scamacca is missing from the squad due to injury. The Atalanta forward trained separately at Coverciano in recent days and will not be part of the matchday group.
Alongside Scamacca, four more players were left out of the final list:
- Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus)
- Elia Caprile (goalkeeper)
- Diego Coppola (defender)
- Nicolò Cambiaghi (winger)
Why the changes matter
Federico Chiesa had pulled out earlier, and Nicolò Cambiaghi had been brought into the group as his replacement. With Matteo Politano expected to start on the right side, Gattuso picked Marco Palestra as the backup for that position. Palestra is an Atalanta player currently on loan at Cagliari and has received his first senior Italy call-up.
Squad list by position
Goalkeepers: Donnarumma (Manchester City), Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Meret (Napoli).
Defenders: Palestra (Cagliari), Dimarco (Inter), Spinazzola (Napoli), Buongiorno (Napoli), Calafiori (Arsenal), Gatti (Juventus), Scalvini (Atalanta), Bastoni (Inter), Mancini (Roma).
Midfielders: Locatelli (Juventus), Tonali (Newcastle United), Pisilli (Roma), Cristante (Roma), Frattesi (Inter), Barella (Inter).
Strikers: Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Raspadori (Atalanta), Kean (Fiorentina), Esposito (Inter), Politano (Napoli).
Short version: Gattuso has kept his options compact and added a young right-sided backup in case Politano needs rest or a tactical tweak. The squad heads into the play-off with experience in goal and a mix of youth and veterans across the pitch.
