La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Sandro Tonali and Bryan Cristante could start against Malta, with Arsenal midfielder Jorginho ‘no longer effective’ for the Azzurri.

The former Napoli and Hellas Verona playmaker failed to impress against England in a 2-1 loss at the Stadio Maradona on Sunday, so he could start on the bench on Sunday against Malta, claims the pink paper.

“Jorginho is no longer at the ore of the project,” wrote Gazzetta correspondent Fabio Licari.

“He only made 51 touches against England, confirming that Italy no longer depend on his footballing intelligence.

“He was no longer creative, similarly to what he had shown after the Euros. Rice looked like the best version of Jorginho, not with as many touches, but with an excellent sense of position with smart interceptions and late runs.”

Beyond Jorginho, Gazzetta highlights a drop in performance in midfield for the Azzurri, who went from averaging 812 touches during the Euros to 692 after the Wembley Final. Possession has also dropped, going fro 62% to 53%.

Therefore, Mancini will likely replace Jorginho against Malta tomorrow in the second match of the Euro 2024 qualifiers.

According to the report, Jorginho could be replaced by Tonali in the upcoming fixture, while Roma‘s Bryan Cristante should start in place of Nicolò Barella who has remained in Italy and won’t be available against Malta tomorrow.

3 thought on “Jorginho no longer key for Italy as Mancini prepares line-up changes against Malta”
  1. I don’t think it takes a genius to see that when ever Mancini reverts to his old favorites the team plays terrible, Argentina game was a prime example. Stop it please.

  2. Hasn’t been good for Italy since the Euro’s but still likes to play him. Needed to drop him last year. Time to give Tonali game time for Italy

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