Giampiero Ventura won’t rule Simone Zaza out of the starting XI against Sweden tomorrow, but Andrea Belotti “is ready to contribute.”
The first leg of the World Cup play-off is in Stockholm tomorrow at 19.45 GMT, with the decider in Milan’s San Siro on Monday evening.
Although Zaza pulled out of training today with a knee problem, he has not been ruled out entirely.
Giampiero Ventura won’t rule Simone Zaza out of the starting XI against Sweden tomorrow, but Andrea Belotti “is ready to contribute.”
The first leg of the World Cup play-off is in Stockholm tomorrow at 19.45 GMT, with the decider in Milan’s San Siro on Monday evening.
Although Zaza pulled out of training today with a knee problem, he has not been ruled out entirely.
“It’s true Zaza had a slight problem. We are not going to despair. If he is in shape, he’ll play, if not, we’ll try to get him ready for Monday,” said the Coach in his Press conference.
“Andrea Belotti is better now than when he arrived, as he had only played two games since the injury. If we need Belotti, then I think Belotti is able to give his contribution.”
The Azzurri finished second in their qualifying group behind Spain and the pressure is on, as they’ll be expected to win the play-off with Sweden.
“After the first hours at the Coverciano training camp, I saw the desire to work hard, to go to the World Cup, and we are all convinced that we will get there.
“We have immense respect for Sweden and they are in the same position as we are, having earned their place in the play-offs. We have great respect, but also great belief.
“This is a game played over 180 minutes and it’s extremely important to score goals. I hope we can achieve that. There is the risk of an important match, but I do not feel the risk of not preparing properly for the match.
“As I said, we have great respect for Sweden, who have quality players, but on the other hand there is an Italy side that with humility declares it wants to go to the World Cup.”