Official: Mancini drops four players for Belgium vs. Italy, Cisse and Liberali called up

ENSCHEDE, NETHERLANDS - JUNE 15: Head coach of Italy Roberto Mancini attends before the UEFA Nations League 2022/23 semifinal match between Spain and Italy at FC Twente Stadium on June 15, 2023 in Enschede, Netherlands. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Roberto Mancini has decided which members of his squad will have to watch Sunday’s decisive Nations League clash between Belgium and Italy from the stands, and has  also decided to include Alphadjo Cisse and Mattia Liberali in his matchday squad this time around. 

Italy are in Brussels to take on Belgium in their final match of the Nations League group stage on Sunday evening (19.45 GMT). The Azzurri lead the group ahead of kick-off having defeated France 3-1 in San Siro on Thursday night.

Ahead of kick-off this evening, Italy lead the group on 10 points, leading France on goal difference and head-to-head, Belgium are in third place on nine points and Turkey are in last on zero. 

Belgium were the victors when they took on the Azzurri in Rome in the first round of group stage fixtures at the beginning of the September-October international break. 

As is customary for Nations League group stage fixtures, Mancini must whittle down his roster to a matchday squad of 23 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers. 

Mancini confirmed on Saturday that Italy will be without two of their starters from the France game as Davide Frattesi and Nicolo Cambiaghi have not recovered. They have not been included in Sunday’s matchday squad. 

It has since been confirmed that Sebastiano Esposito will be left out of Sunday’s squad to face Belgium, as will Samuele Ricci, Federico Gatti and Matteo Palma. Gatti and Palma were also left out against France. 

Meanwhile, Cisse, Liberali, Honest Ahanor and Niccolo Pisilli have been called up to the squad to face Belgium, having been left out against France earlier this week. 

Confirmed Italy squad vs. Belgium 

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Guglielmo Vicario. 

Defenders: Honest Ahanor, Alessandro Bastoni, Riccardo Calafiori, Federico Dimarco, Daniele Ghilardi, Michael Kayode, Marco Palestra, Giorgio Scalvini. 

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella, Alphadjo Cisse, Issa Doumbia, Nicolo Fagioli, Mattia Liberali, Niccolo Pisilli, Alessandro Romano, Sandro Tonali. 

Forwards: Pio Esposito, Luca Koleosho, Gianluca Scamacca, Antonio Vergara.