Riccardo Orsolini admits he is very pleased to be back in the Italy squad with a system that suits him ahead of tonight’s European Championship qualifier against Malta.
It kicks off at the Stadio San Nicola in Bari at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
The build-up has been dominated by the betting scandal, which saw Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Zaniolo were forced to leave the training camp after they were placed under formal investigation.
Injuries also decimated the squad, losing the likes of Federico Chiesa, Ciro Immobile, Mateo Retegui and Lorenzo Pellegrini.
“The objective was to focus on our football, drown out all the chatter of the last few days with a good performance on the field,” Orsolini told Sky Sport Italia.
Malta are the whipping boys of the EURO 2024 qualifying group and are yet to pick up a single point so far.
“Winning is always important, every game has hidden dangers, and football tends to prove that what is on paper is often cast aside when we get to play.”
Bologna winger Orsolini was asked if he likes the fact Luciano Spalletti plays with a 4-3-3 formation and he broke into a massive grin.
“Obviously!”