Official: Latest Italy U21 squad includes Inacio, Mane, Lulli and Bartesaghi

TRIESTE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 06: Samuele Inacio of Italy U17 celebrates after scoring his team second goal during the International Friendly match between Italy U17 and Switzerland U17 at Stadio Nereo Rocco on September 06, 2024 in Trieste, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Silvio Baldini has named a squad of 26 Italy U21 players including the likes of Samuele Inacio, Filippo Mane, Emanuele Lulli and Davide Bartesaghi for a pair of international friendlies against France and Belgium in November, as the Azzurrini prepare for the European Championships coming up this summer. 

Like the senior Italy squad, the U21s will also be in action against France and Belgium in November, although the Azzurrini will face France away and Belgium at home: The opposite of the senior Azzurri squad.  

These will both be friendly matches, following the completion of U21 European Championship qualifying last month. 

• Read more: Official: Mancini names 31-man Italy squad for France and Belgium

The Italy U21s beat Armenia 1-0 last month, before an important 6-2 victory over Poland, which saw the Azzurrini leapfrog their opponents into first place in their qualifying group, earning them a guaranteed spot at the final tournament in the process. 

The latest Italy U21 squad features several players who have returned after being named in the senior squad last month: Massimo Pessina, Eddy Kouadio and Inacio. 

The squad also features a handful of players who had been considered for the senior squad this time around, but have been left with the U21s for another camp, including Milan’s Bartesaghi and Roma’s Lulli. Cher Ndour has also stayed with the U21s. 

Regular centre-forward Antonio Raimondo is unavailable through injury. There are still several other Frosinone representatives, though, namely Lorenzo Palmisani, Gabriele Calvani, Matteo Cichella and Seydou Fini. 

Luca Koleosho, a regular fixture of the U21 side during their European Championship qualifying campaign, has been promoted to the senior squad for November. 

Official: Italy U21 squad for November fixtures 

Goalkeepers: Giovanni Daffara (Parma), Diego Mascardi (Torino), Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone), Massimo Pessina (Bologna);

Defenders: Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Gabriele Calvani (Frosinone), Fabio Chiarodia (Borussia M’Gladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Torino), Eddy Kouadio (Monza), Emanuele Lulli (Roma), Filippo Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Brando Moruzzi (Avellino);

Midfielders: Lorenzo Amatucci (Deportivo La Coruna), Tommaso Berti (Cremonese), Matteo Cichella (Frosinone), Matteo Dagasso (Venezia), Giacomo Faticanti (Avellino), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Cher Ndour (Fiorentina);

Forwards: Alessio Cacciamani (Torino), Francesco Camarda (Milan), Luigi Cherubini (Benevento), Jeff Ekhator (Juventus), Seydou Fini (Frosinone), Samuele Inacio (Borussia Dortmund), Dominic Vavassori (Palermo).