Mancini keeps Italy’s Euro 2020 winners for Nations League

MILAN, Italy (AP):

Italy coach Roberto Mancini recalled all the fit players from his European Championship-winning squad yesterday for the Nations League semi-final against Spain next week.

Only four players are missing from the 26-man squad that beat England in the Euro 2020 final in July: Leonardo Spinazzola, Alessandro Florenzi, Gaetano Castrovilli and Andrea Belotti. All are injured.

The only player named in the 23-man squad for the Nations League finals not to feature in Italy’s success was Lorenzo Pellegrini. The Roma midfielder was originally part of the squad for Euro 2020 but was injured in training with the national team and was replaced at the last minute by Castrovilli.

Italy meet Spain in Milan in the Nations League final four on Wednesday, three months after their Euro 2020 semi-final.

The winners will face world champions France or Belgium in the Nations League final in Milan on October 10, while the losers will play a third-place match the same day in Turin.

France play Belgium in Turin on Thursday.

As well as beating Spain on penalties in Euro 2020, Italy also beat Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals.

Italy are on an international record run of 37 consecutive games unbeaten.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Genoa)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Lyon), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta)

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter Milan), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Jorginho (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo)