EURO qualifier: Spalletti rings changes for debut Italy match
New coach Luciano Spalletti is testing out his debut Italy XI for the EURO 2024 qualifier with North Macedonia, including Bryan Cristante, Ciro Immobile and Federico Chiesa.
It kicks off on Saturday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT) in Skopje and is the first match under the new tactician who replaced Roberto Mancini.
According to the initial reports from the Coverciano training ground, he will stick with the 4-3-3 formation that was used both for the Azzurri at EURO 2020 and Spalletti’s Napoli in the Scudetto battle last season.
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There are, however, quite a few changes from the side that Mancini used in the first two qualifying games of this group, the 2-1 defeat to England and 2-0 win away to Malta.
Roma midfielder Cristante was excluded from the Azzurri since June 2022, yet he is expected to be in the starting XI in the playmaker role against North Macedonia.
Barella and Sandro Tonali are practically guaranteed to complete the midfield.
Gianluca Mancini also returns after a year out and is tipped to play in central defence with either Alessandro Bastoni or Alessio Romagnoli.
The trident attack should see Immobile flanked by Matteo Politano of Napoli and Juventus star Federico Chiesa.
It is a change of position for Chiesa, who has been used as a striker for Juve this season rather than on the wing.
Italy probable: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni (Romagnoli), Dimarco (Spinazzola); Barella, Cristante, Tonali; Politano, Immobile, Chiesa