Retegui owner? For Italy-England Mancini thinks about it

An Italian-Argentine center forward for Italy against England: the suggestion could become news on the evening of March 23 in Naples. Because the temptation Mateo Retegui can become a necessity for Roberto Mancini. The emergency in attack – especially in the center of the attack of the national team – is well known: the coach is suspended pending news on the convalescent strikers, but the already certain call-up of the Tigre centre-forward with a double passport (he has a flight to Italy booked for Saturday) gives him a minimum of peace of mind.

In the absence of the injured Immobile, the first choice would obviously be Raspadori: but the Napoli forward is still in doubt for Sunday’s match against Turin, so Mancio can’t help but think of alternatives. The “false nine” solution (in the case that can be interpreted by Pellegrini or Berardi) has never been his favorite: if possible, he has always favored a center forward, even if perhaps not “pure”. But Belotti (who had recently undergone surgery on his hand) and above all Scamacca, in his original plans as the first alternative to Immobile, perfectly embody the problem the coach is finding himself having to live with: there are few centre-forwards, and those who do exist don’t play, or they play little.

CHECK PLAY LITTLE

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The blue chosen in the summer by West Ham, recovering from an injury and from four consecutive benches in the Premier League, in the last two weeks he played only 4′ against United in the FA Cup and half an hour last Thursday in Larnaca, in the Conference League. Little to give guarantees. Wilfried Gnonto also comes from two benches in a row, in the matches against Chelsea and Brighton, but he has had at least one more constant use in Leeds: it is likely that the choice will fall on him or Retegui, in the event of Raspadori’s forfeit. For a third centre-forward, a possible ballot between Cambiaghi (more atypical, but he too is firm with the possibility of recovery all to be verified) and Pinamonti: a “real” nine, who in two matches has finally found space as a starter (and the goal , against Roma) in Sassuolo.

MANCINI SAYS

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A problem that Retegui has never had in Tigre: since the beginning of the season he has played seven Superliga games, all from the 1st to the 90th minute (with six goals scored). This too can make the difference in Mancini’s choices, who underlined the fact yesterday in Dazn that “the boy has been playing as a starter in Argentina for two years and has qualities that we lacked: we had been following him for some time, but we thought he didn’t want to come. instead he immediately said yes and we called him up in advance”. It is clear that the three days of training that Mateo will do in Coverciano will give further answers, but the coach has already followed him and seen enough to know who he is: a striker who needs to improve a lot, especially from a technical point of view, but he is enough “bad”, and he’s hungry enough for goal to be able to bear the weight of such a delicate appointment as the first leg of the European Championship qualifiers.

CHURCH AND PAFUNDI

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In addition to Raspadori, another potential owner is in doubt for this double crossing with England and Malta: Federico Chiesa, more no than yes for Thursday in Freiburg, should be available again on Sunday. Mancini obviously counts on it: for the role he also has Grifo, in the case of Gnonto, and in that position he also used Zaniolo, who is not in top condition but has already scored in his first match with Galatasaray and remains an open bet from Mancini . Who was the first to call him up to the national team and is considering whether to give continuity to the November call-up for the matches against Albania and Austria. In any case, to broaden the field of options, Zaccagni, El Shaarawy or Caprari are also candidates.

Friday is the day in which Mancini will make his choices official and a possible rookie will be his 100th squad: by then he will have more certain but perhaps not definitive news also on the evolution of the severe contusion suffered by Bonucci on Sunday. For this reason, Luiz Felipe can be added to the various Acerbi, Bastoni, Toloi and Scalvini. But the number of players called up will depend precisely on how many players will be able to give guarantees of full availability only once the match has already begun: the list will therefore fluctuate between 28 and 30 names, excluding a couple of young players that Mancini has always added to the group. Udogie and Baldanzi should be left at Under 21: one could still be Pafundi, the other Oristanio (Volendam) or Fazzini (Empoli), depending on the role requirements.