Italy call up seven uncapped players

Italian manager Antonio Conte has called up seven new faces to feature in a 28-man training squad as Italy begin their perpetration for EURO 2016. Conte, who was today acquitted of any involvement in a Serie A match-fixing scandle,has left out Juventus and AC Milan players as they prepare for Saturday’s Coppa Italia final in Rome.

The untested players called into the Azzurri squad all ply their trade in the Italian top flight. They are : Marco Benassi,Danilo Cataldi, Armando Lzzo, Leonardo Pavoletti, Marco Sportiello, Lorenzo Tonelli and Davide Zappacosta. Conte has also recalled Sunderland striker Fabio Borini and Bologna goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi has also been included in the preliminary squad, but there’s no place for MLS pair Andrea Pirlo and Sebastian Giovinco.

Torino midfielder Marco Benassi has been impressive this season.
Torino midfielder Marco Benassi has been impressive this season.

Italy have already lost key players through injury including midfielders Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio. Conte will reduce the current selection on the 23rd of May ahead of friendlies against Scotland and Finland in Malta and Verona on the 29th of May and 6th of June respectively. Italy will then fly to their base for EURO 2016 in Montpellier before facing Belgium, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland in Group E.

Italy training camp squad:

Goalkeepers: Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Antonio Mirante (Bologna), Marco Sportiello (Atalanta)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Sassuolo), Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Armando Izzo (Genoa), Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham), Lorenzo Tonelli (Empoli)

Midfielders: Marco Benassi (Torino), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Sampdoria), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Jorginho (Napoli), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Roberto Soriano (Sampdoria), Davide Zappacosta (Torino)

Forwards: Fabio Borini (Sunderland), Eder (Inter), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa), Graziano Pellè (Southampton)

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