Simone Zaza, Stephan El Shaarawy, Danilo D’Ambrosio and Leonardo Spinazzola are officially out of Italy’s World Cup play-off in Sweden.
The first leg kicks off on Friday in Stockholm at 19.45 GMT with the decider in Milan on Monday.
Although Coach Giampiero Ventura insisted today that Valencia striker Zaza was in the running for a role in the starting XI, it seems the knee injury he sustained in training this morning proved too serious to risk.
Simone Zaza, Stephan El Shaarawy, Danilo D’Ambrosio and Leonardo Spinazzola are officially out of Italy’s World Cup play-off in Sweden.
The first leg kicks off on Friday in Stockholm at 19.45 GMT with the decider in Milan on Monday.
Although Coach Giampiero Ventura insisted today that Valencia striker Zaza was in the running for a role in the starting XI, it seems the knee injury he sustained in training this morning proved too serious to risk.
He is therefore not named in the squad for the game tomorrow, while Atalanta wing-back Spinazzola is also absent, having skipped training this week.
Roma forward El Shaarawy has been on spectacular form of late, but is sent to the stands with Inter defender D’Ambrosio.
Although Lorenzo Insigne might not start the match, he is still given the Number 10 jersey.
Italy are expected to use a 3-5-2 formation with Andrea Belotti or Eder partnering Ciro Immobile.
Goalkeepers: 1 Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), 12 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), 22 Mattia Perin (Genoa)
Defenders: 13 Davide Astori (Fiorentina), 15 Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), 19 Leonardo Bonucci (Milan), 3 Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), 4 Matteo Darmian (Manchester United), 2 Daniele Rugani (Juventus), 21 Davide Zappacosta (Chelsea)
Midfielders: 20 Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), 6 Antonio Candreva (Inter), 16 Daniele De Rossi (Roma), 7 Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), 5 Roberto Gagliardini (Inter), 10 Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), 14 Jorge Luiz Frello Jorginho (Napoli), 18 Marco Parolo (Lazio), 8 Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)
Forwards: 9 Andrea Belotti (Torino), 17 Eder Citadin Martins (Inter), 23 Manolo Gabbiadini (Southampton), 11 Ciro Immobile (Lazio)