Roberto Mancini assures there is ‘no problem’ with Ciro Immobile or the lack of Italy goals going into the World Cup qualifier with Lithuania, comparing criticism to that of Mario Balotelli.
It kicks off on Wednesday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT) at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio-Emilia.
Changes are expected from the side that drew 0-0 in Switzerland on Sunday evening, but the coach again stood strong behind under-fire striker Immobile.
“Stefano Sensi is fine, he had a problem at the beginning of the week and we put him on the sidelines and now he’s fine,” Mancini said at a press conference.
“Federico Bernardeschi could play, he’s a fresh player. Nicolò Barella is on a yellow card, so I am thinking about Matteo Pessina, also for fitness levels.
“I don’t worry too much about the latest performances. Psychologically the lads have to feel great, they have won the European Championship and they have to play with composure.
“Unfortunately, the ball sometimes doesn’t enter, and we in Italy go to look for a culprit for everything. But we have to isolate ourselves a bit from this and do certain things a bit better and the team has to keep doing what it does, including Immobile. The goals will arrive.
“You know what it seems to me, that we have returned to Mario Balotelli… I have no issue here, we won the Euros with 26 players and Ciro was always first choice. He scored in two games, in others he went close, at times the ball didn’t go in, it happens. I tell him to make certain movements, but otherwise I don’t see a problem here.
“Immobile has always scored goals, maybe when we get to the World Cup he’ll score eight and we’ll win the trophy.”
The criticism wasn’t just for Immobile, but also Jorginho, who saw his penalty saved by Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, and Domenico Berardi missed a sitter in the same game.
“In the meantime, we must win. If we win tomorrow, we will recover points,” Mancini added. “Having said that, we could also need the goal difference if we are tied on points.
“We have three games, if we win them all, we are qualified. Tomorrow’s game will not be easy. They’re a physical side and they will get behind it. It will be up to us to unlock it and them manage it in the best possible way.
Nicolò Zaniolo came on as a False 9 during the Switzerland game, so could that be an idea against Lithuania too?
“We have all the possibilities; we just have to evaluate the conditions of the players. We are at the beginning of the season and the lads arrive from the European Championship. We need fresh players.”
There are six players who have started both games in this run, will he leave them all out?
“If I could avoid it, I wouldn’t do it,” Mancini said. “It will depend on their conditions. We are at the beginning of the season, the lads have had 20 days of vacation and we face national teams that have already played nine or 10 games.
“Some were a bit tired in the final minutes of the last match in Switzerland and these things must be assessed.”
Jorginho said the players and the staff are the only ones who believed in the Azzurri going into the Euros.
“This is important, in the meantime we believe,” Mancini continued. “Three years ago everyone, even my friends, thought there was no quality national players.
“We gathered and we won the European Championship. We are calm, we are just sorry to have lost four points.
“But a little luck helped us during the European Championship and now we lacked a little. We have to win the next three games.”
How is he so sure they’ll win the remaining 3 games? He had his chance but Jorginho wasted it
Mancini is letting himself down badly by defending Immobile he needs to start being honest and say that Ciro has not performed at international level and will start looking at alternatives, which is so downright obvious with everyone else,
This might also give Ciro a big kick up the backside
If Ciro is Mancini 1st name on the team sheet OMG the Azzurri have some big problems with Mancini as coach
Hate being a pessimistic after a great achievement winning the Euros but thats now in the past,
Azzurri need to be taken forward with a fresh thinking open minded Mancini
This is sad that we are struggling to qualify yet all the other big nations are scoring and doing well . Never thought I would be worried about beating Lithuania but after the last two games who knows what will happen
I’m legit worried.
If we don’t get 3 Points, it’s clear that AT BEST we’ll go to the Playoff.
Mancini should frgt about Immobile, the guy is not doing anything for the national side.