MIDFIELD PAIR MARCO Verratti and Stefano Sensi were both included in Italy’s squad for Euro 2020 named late last night despite recent injuries.
Coach Roberto Mancini unveiled his 26-man squad at the midnight 1 June deadline set by Uefa ahead of the tournament, which kicks off on 11 June.
There was also a surprise inclusion of Sassuolo forward Giacomo Raspadori, 21, who has not yet played for the senior national side. Raspadori became available after Italy were eliminated from the European U21 Championship. The centre-forward could provide an attacking option alongside Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti.
Verratti suffered knee ligament damage last month, with his club, Paris Saint-Germain, estimating that six weeks of recovery could be needed, which would rule the 28-year-old out of the group matches. Sensi suffered a thigh muscle problem on the final day of the season playing for Serie A champions Inter Milan.
Veteran Juventus defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci are also included, with Atalanta’s Rafael Toloi preferred to Roma’s Gianluca Mancini. Atalanta midfielder Matteo Pessina and Napoli winger Matteo Politano were both left out.
After failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the Azzurri are looking for redemption in a tournament they won in 1968.
They kick off on 11 June against Turkey in Group A in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, where they will also play Switzerland and Wales.
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino)
Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint-Germain), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta)
Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)
Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo)
