Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti has hinted that he will select Fiorentina striker and former Juventus man Moise Kean as a starter against Israel in the Nations League on Friday, as there is a slight doubt over Mateo Retegui’s availability.
Spalletti likely to start Kean over Retegui
The CT said that it would be impossible to name the same starting XI that lined up for the 3-1 victory in France on Friday, largely due to fatigue and minor injuries.
Riccardo Calafiori and Lorenzo Pellegrini have returned to Arsenal and Roma respectively, while Retegui is one of those who has not fully recovered from the game at the start of the weekend just yet.
“Kean is likely to be involved, since Retegui can’t do it all again. It’s better to let him play the bigger chunk, and Kean has shown that he is fine as well,” the coach said during his pre-match press conference on Sunday.
Spalletti has suggested that there is still a decision to be made over who plays in the role behind the striker on Monday night.
Giacomo Raspadori came on for Pellegrini, who started in that position against France, and played a massive role in changing the direction of the game. Spalletti could still opt for a slightly different profile of player, though.
“For the trequartista, we will have to evaluate whether to play Raspadori again, or a midfielder, because we have other options like (Marco) Brescianini. The team is doing well from a mental and numerical point of view.”
Spalletti: Italy ‘don’t have Baggio or Del Piero’, but were ‘more than just a team’ against France