Stephan El Shaarawy, Davide Santon and Alessandro Florenzi are in the Italy squad to face France in next week’s friendly, but Daniele De Rossi is dropped after his red card.
Stephan El Shaarawy, Davide Santon and Alessandro Florenzi are in the Italy squad to face France in next week’s friendly, but Daniele De Rossi is dropped after his red card.
Cesare Prandelli has a strict code of ethics and confirmed he will not call up players who are sent off for dissent or violent conduct.
De Rossi saw red today for punching Stefano Mauri during Roma’s 3-2 defeat to Lazio, so is frozen out even though he went to the locker room afterwards to apologise.
The Azzurri welcome Les Bleus to the Stadio Tardini in Parma on Wednesday evening.
Milan starlet El Shaarawy is again named in the senior squad and it seems has now definitively made the step up from Under-21 level.
Another figure poached from the Azzurrini is Roma midfielder Florenzi, while Newcastle United full-back Santon gets his first call since August.
Cagliari defender Davide Astori is recalled for the first time since March 2011.
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St. Germain), Emiliano Viviano (Fiorentina);
Defenders: Davide Astori (Cagliari), Federico Balzaretti (Roma), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Zenit St. Pietroburgo), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Davide Santon (Newcastle);
Midfielders: Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Alessandro Diamanti (Bologna), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Juventus), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Marco Verratti (Paris St. Germain);
Forwards: Mario Balotelli (Manchester City), Mattia Destro (Roma), Stephan El Shaarawy (Milan), Sebastian Giovinco (Juventus), Pablo Daniel Osvaldo (Roma).