Antonio Conte confirmed there will be changes against Malta tomorrow, possibly including Graziano Pellè.
The Euro 2016 qualifier kicks off on Monday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT) and follows on from a 2-1 win over Azerbaijan.
“We are playing three days later, so there will be some changes in the Italy side against Malta,” said Conte at his Press conference.
Antonio Conte confirmed there will be changes against Malta tomorrow, possibly including Graziano Pellè.
The Euro 2016 qualifier kicks off on Monday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT) and follows on from a 2-1 win over Azerbaijan.
“We are playing three days later, so there will be some changes in the Italy side against Malta,” said Conte at his Press conference.
“However, telling you the names seems a bit much…”
There have been reports that Southampton striker Pellè will be thrown into the starting XI for his senior Azzurri debut.
“Pellè? He is an option, as I never call someone up just as a reward for doing well at club level. He is an option, just like Immobile, Giovinco and Destro.
“Pirlo did well against Azerbaijan, but he is coming back from a serious injury, so we will evaluate the situation. Verratti is fit and in the best condition to play.
“Pirlo was man-marked in the last game, but he is accustomed to that. It’s unfortunate that teams take that approach, as it’s damaging to football.
“I always tell my players that beautiful football leads to victories. We work for an attacking philosophy.”
Malta have lost both their Euro 2016 qualifiers and were beaten 3-0 by Norway on Friday, but Conte warned the result did not reflect the performance.
“We can expect a tough game against Malta, as they played open and attacking football against Norway, beaten only on the counter-attack.”
Conte has won all three of his games on the Italy bench so far, but Friday’s 2-1 victory over Azerbaijan was the worst performance yet.
“We are like cyclists at the start of a stage: head down and pedal hard, without listening to praise or criticism.
“Don’t forget we have only been working together for a month and are creating something great here. I’d wait a few more games before passing judgment.
“Meanwhile, this team already has a precise identity and we can do well.”