The March international break is fast approaching, and Italy national team head coach Luciano Spalletti is due to announce his squad for the Nations League quarter-finals against Germany before the end of the working week.
Here is everything you need to know about the squad announcement, possible inclusions and the upcoming Germany matches.
When is the next Italy squad announcement?
Spalletti is due to reveal his Italy squad for the upcoming Nations League quarter-finals against Germany on Friday afternoon of March 14.
When is Italy-Germany?
The Nations League quarter-finals will be played over two legs during the March international break. The Azzurri will host Germany in San Siro first, on March 20 at 19.45 GMT. The return leg will be played at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund a few days later on March 23.
Who else is involved in the Nations League quarter-finals?
Italy-Germany makes up one of the four quarter-final draws. There will also be two-legged knockout matches between Denmark and Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands, France and Croatia coming up this month.
What happens after the quarter-finals?
The four winners of the quarter-finals will progress to the Nations League finals, which is its own separate mini-tournament that will be held in either Germany or Italy at the beginning of June.
Each of the four finalists will play two games each in the Nations League finals: A guaranteed semi-final, and either the final or third-place play-off depending on results.
Who will be in the next Italy squad?
There aren’t expected to be too many major surprises in Spalletti’s upcoming squad. In fact, most of the squad is fairly predictable. Recent reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that there are 18 players who are practically ‘guaranteed’ a spot in the team.
Expected inclusions
Goalkeepers: Donnarumma, Vicario
Defenders: Di Lorenzo, Calafiori, Bastoni, Gatti, Buongiorno, Cambiaso, Udogie.
Midfielders: Ricci, Rovella, Tonali, Frattesi, Barella.
Strikers: Retegui, Kean, Raspadori, Maldini.
Possible call-ups
Locatelli, Pisilli, Casadei, Folorunsho, Baldanzi, Zaccagni, Politano, Lucca.
I look at this squad and think to myself.
what happened to Italian football?
I doubt this squad will even qualify for the world cup