Belotti and Sirigu strong points of Mancini, the novelty is Toloi

Towards the call-ups for qualifying for Qatar 2022. The coach wants to understand if the Atalantino can be useful to the European Championship. Three games against Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania

Andrea Elefante and Fabio Licari

March 16
– Milano–

From here to the European Championship there is only this call to get to know, study and, if necessary, welcome someone into the group. So the new Italian Toloi, who became eligible in February, will be on the wide list for the triple blue commitment to Qatar 2022 against Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania. Interesting experiment for a defense that takes four sides but always sets three: the atalantino, transformed by Gasperini, and often added to the median to create superiority, could propose himself as an outsider who concentrates. A role in which the owner Florenzi is doing well but with a lot of competition, from the Romanista Mancini to Di Lorenzo. There should be no other news in a necessarily large list, 34/35 names, because no one can face three races in ten days. Between Covid, injuries and states of form over an endless season, Mancini will have to measure up.

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Zaniolo at the last

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The group for the European Championship is in any case defined: between now and June a dozen names will have to be cut. Excluding Toloi, the only one who can be added is Zaniolo, a choice naturally postponed to the last moment. In the next few days, however, the conditions of Romagnoli (Milan-United at risk) and Kean (fresh from the virus) will be evaluated. Mancini will see Chiellini again with a view to a recovery for the Euro and most likely will not give up on Sensi who he has always considered fundamental in the balance of the midfield due to the double role he plays (midfielder and central). With Tonali left to Nicolato for the Under 21 team, Bastoni’s implicit call seems to be a confirmation in the European perspective.

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Three challenges

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The list of the Azzurri will be released on Friday. Sunday evening meeting in Coverciano and tampone. Training starts on Monday. The three matches are Italy-Northern Ireland (25 March, Parma); Bulgaria-Italy (28 March, Sofia); Lithuania-Italy (March 31, Vilnius). Switzerland is also part of the group. The regulation provides that the first (10 teams) qualify directly for the final phase of the World Cup (21 November-18 December 2022), while the second and the best two of the last Nations participate in a double playoff for the last 3 places available.

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THE LIKELY CALLED

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GOALKEEPERS Donnarumma, Sirigu, Cragno (plus one between Meret, Gollini and Silvestri)

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DEFENDERS Florenzi, Mancini, Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Acerbi, Toloi, Chiellini, Bastoni, Spinazzola, Emerson, Calabria (Romagnoli)

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MIDFIELDERS Jorginho, Locatelli, Barella, Lo. Pellegrini, Verratti, Pessina, Cristante, Castrovilli (Soriano)

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FORWARDS Chiesa, Bernardeschi, Immobile, Belotti, Kean, Insigne, Berardi, El Shaarawy, Caputo, Grifo

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