Italian Spinazzola back for Finalissima and Nations League

Milan, May 23, 2022 (AFP) – Leonardo Spinazzola will return to the Italian squad after Roberto Mancini named him one of 39 players for European champions ‘Finalissima”s duel with Argentina and the Nations League.

Spinazzola, the Roma fullback, was one of the stars of Italy’s Euro 2020 victory, but tore his Achilles tendon during his side’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over Belgium.

The injury left the 29-year-old out for most of the season, but only returned to action for Roma earlier this month, and will join the squad on Wednesday after the Conference League final.

He is part of the roster alongside Giorgio Chiellini, who will play his final game for the national team when they face Copa America winner Argentina at Wembley on June 1 at Wembley.

Chiellini, 37, announced in April that he would retire from international football this summer after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup after being knocked out by North Macedonia in the play-offs.

Three days after captain Chiellini said goodbye, Italy kicks off their Nations League campaign with Germany’s visit to Bologna before hosting Hungary in Cesena on June 7.

Italy then takes on smitten Euro finalists England in Wolverhampton on 11 June and travels to Mönchengladbach three days later to play Germany.

Coach Mancini has given Sassuolo’s promising midfielder Davide Frattesi and Empoli forward Andrea Pinamonti their first senior call-ups for the series of games.

He selected all the players of the Euro-winning squad, except for the injured Federico Chiesa, Gaetano Castrovilli, Rafael Toloi and Ciro Immobile.

Selection Italy for ‘Finalissima’ and Nations League matches†

goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Genoa)

defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Davide Calabria (AC Milan), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter Milan), Emerson Palmieri (Lyon/FRA), Alessandro Florenzi (AC Milan), Manuel Lazzari (Lazio), Luiz Felipe (Lazio), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma)

midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Davide Frattesi (Sassuolo), Jorginho (Chelsea/ENG), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Sandro Tonali (AC Milan ), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain/FRA)

forward: Andrea Belotti (Turin), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Gianluca Caprari (Verona), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Moise Kean (Juventus), Andrea Pinamonti (Empoli), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Gianluca Scamacca (Sassuolo), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), Nicolo Zaniolo (Roma)