Italy started training today for the friendlies against Albania and Austria, as Roberto Mancini tested out two new tactics using a three-man defence.
The Azzurri are not participating in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, so have organised two friendly matches instead.
They visit Albania in Tirana on Wednesday November 16, then Austria in Vienna on Sunday November 20.
After winning EURO 2020 with a 4-3-3 formation, Mancini has begun testing out alternative tactical shapes for his squad.
Today at the Coverciano training centre, he set them out in a game between ranks with one team in a 3-4-3 formation, the other 3-5-2.
He is expected to choose roughly the side in the 3-4-3 shape as the starting XI against Edy Reja’s Albania on Wednesday.
There are still some choices to be made largely in attack between Matteo Politano and Nicolò Zaniolo on one flank, Federico Chiesa or Vincenzo Grifo on the other.
With Gianluca Scamacca pulling out through injury, Giacomo Raspadori becomes first choice centre-forward.
Italy probable (3-4-3): Meret; Scalvini, Bonucci, Bastoni; Di Lorenzo, Verratti, Barella, Dimarco; Politano/Zaniolo, Raspadori, Chiesa/Grifo
politano and grifo will start
I actually think this is an excellent line up to test out. Would love to see Chiesa, Raspadori and Zaniolo all play together.
Hope he try’s out that 16 yr old kid and add Miretti and Fagoli . Why bother with verratti at this point .
Probably be a better team than Euro 2020 and we will never get to see them at the world cup. Pity he was not more tactically versatile before his tactics stagnated.
Mancini is a clown of epic proportions.