National Convocations: Mancini calls Pafundi, Miretti, Fagioli, Chiesa and Zaniolo

No World Cup for the Azzurri, who will have to settle for two friendlies against second-tier teams, also absent in Qatar, or Albania (it will be played on Wednesday 16 November, at 8.45 pm in Tirana and will be the 400th match in the history of the national team) and Austria (Sunday 20 November, 8.45 pm in Vienna). Two tests for coach Roberto Mancini in view of the official commitments of 2023, which will start in March with the qualifications for the 2024 European Championships, and then continue in June with the Nations League Final Four in the Netherlands.

Among the 31 called up for the double match, the first call for Simone Pafundi, Udinese striker born in 2006 stands out. It will also be the first time for Juventus midfielders Nicolò Fagioli (born in 2001) and Fabio Miretti (born in 2003). All three had already been hired by the coach on the occasion of the internships dedicated to footballers of national interest. Federico Chiesa is back – one year later – who has just returned from a serious injury to the cruciate ligament in his left knee accused last January. There will also be Nicolò Zaniolo.

goalkeepers

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Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint Germain), Alex Meret (Naples), Ivan Provedel (Lazio), Guglielmo Vicario (Empoli).

defenders

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Francesco Acerbi (Inter), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Naples), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Emerson Palmieri (West Ham), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Pasquale Mazzocchi (Salernitana), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta).

midfielders

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Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Rome), Nicolò Fagioli (Juventus), Davide Frattesi (Sassuolo), Fabio Miretti (Juventus), Matteo Pessina (Monza), Samuele Ricci (Turin), Sandro Tonali (Milan), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain).

forwards

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Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds), Vincenzo Grifo (Friborg), Simone Pafundi (Udinese), Matteo Politano (Naples), Giacomo Raspadori (Naples), Gianluca Scamacca (West Ham), Nicolò Zaniolo (Rome).