All changes Italy could make for Nations League and World Cup qualifiers | OneFootball

After a disappointing exit from EURO 2024 at the round of 16 stage, Italy and CT Luciano Spalletti could make wholesale changes heading into Nations League fixtures in September and the World Cup qualifiers in 2025.

Spalletti said in his press conference on Sunday, after Italy’s elimination, that he intends to lower the average age of his playing squad, which means a few senior members of the EUROs squad could be cut in order to make way for fresh faces.

Those at risk of being dropped in the next squad include 32-year-old Arsenal midfielder Jorginho, 31-year-old Roma winger Stephan El Shaarawy and 34-year-old Inter defender Matteo Darmian, according to Monday’s print edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport.

There are also a handful of players whose Italy futures hang in the balance after the disappointment of EURO 2024, including Roma pair Bryan Cristante and Gianluca Mancini, as well as Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who struggled particularly in the 1-0 group stage loss to Spain.

Which players could Spalletti call up for Italy after EURO 2024 exit

There is, however, a longlist of players who are ready to come in and make an impact on Spalletti’s squad. Some of the more obvious examples include Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, who will be available after his season-long suspension at the end of August, eight days before Italy’s next scheduled fixture against France in the Nations League.

Other players who have already experienced life in the senior national team and who could make a return include Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli, Galatasaray’s Nicolo Zaniolo and Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini, who only missed out on EURO 2024 through a late injury.

La Gazzetta dello Sport also points to a handful of youngsters who are ready and available for selection. They include Tottenham full-back Destiny Udogie, another EURO injury absentee, as well as Fiorentina right-back Michael Kayode, Bologna midfielder Giovanni Fabbian and Napoli’s Gianluca Gaetano, who spent the second half of the season on loan with Cagliari.

Four more youngsters are also in the conversation, but may still need a little longer to establish themselves in their respective first teams at club level. Those include Milan’s Primavera sensation Francesco Camarda, Chelsea-owned Cesare Casadei, 18-year-old Simone Pafundi and Empoli midfielder Jacopo Fazzini.