Roberto Mancini's Return: Italy's New Squad for Nations League

Roberto Mancini is back in charge of Italy, and he is not easing himself in.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the returning head coach is ready to call up as many as 35 players for the upcoming international window, a supersized group built for a brutal run of four Nations League games in just 11 days.

More than eight years after his first appointment in May 2018, Mancini’s second spell with the Azzurri starts with a sprint, not a stroll.

A packed calendar, a swollen squad

Italy open against Belgium in Rome on 25 September, then head straight into a demanding road swing with trips to Turkey and France before returning home to face Turkey again in Bologna. It is a schedule that leaves no room for tired legs or thin options.

Hence the numbers. Up to 35 players. Constant rotation. Fresh energy every few days.

The expanded list is not just about quantity. It is also Mancini’s first chance to reshape the edges of his group, and a handful of names jump off the page.

New faces on the Azzurri radar

Uncapped prospects Romano, Zoma and Samuel Inacio are among the most eye-catching expected inclusions. They are joined by potential call-ups for Doumbia and Ahanor, as Mancini tests the depth of Italy’s next wave.

Romano, a midfielder, has forced his way into the conversation with strong recent form at club level. Italy are light in central areas, and his emergence arrives at exactly the right time for a coach who likes technicians who can handle the ball under pressure.

Zoma, based in Germany, offers something different again. He is being lined up to add width to an attacking department that has too often looked narrow and predictable. Italy need runners, not just schemers. Zoma fits that brief.

In goal, Bologna’s Pessina is in contention to join a competitive group that already includes Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Carnesecchi and Guglielmo Vicario. It is another sign that no position is closed and no hierarchy is entirely safe.

Euro 2020 core still at the heart

For all the fresh faces, Mancini is not tearing everything up. The backbone of the Euro 2020 triumph remains central to his plans.

Nicolò Barella, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Bryan Cristante and Alessandro Bastoni are all expected to feature, carrying the experience and resilience that defined Italy’s run to the European title.

There could even be a touch of nostalgia. Federico Bernardeschi, one of the heroes of that Wembley night, is under consideration for a surprise recall. So is midfielder Rolando Mandragora, another name who once seemed to belong to Italy’s future and now has a chance to re-enter its present.

The message is clear: the door is not closed to anyone who can still help.

Injuries bite, Retegui on standby

Mancini’s options are not limitless. Injuries have stripped him of several key figures: Federico Chiesa, Nicolò Zaniolo, Manuel Locatelli and Alessandro Buongiorno are all ruled out.

Each absence hurts in a different way. Chiesa’s direct running, Zaniolo’s unpredictability, Locatelli’s balance in midfield, Buongiorno’s defensive steel. The coach must rebuild those elements on the fly.

Mateo Retegui, meanwhile, remains on holiday in Argentina. His status is more fluid: he is not currently in camp, but he could still be summoned if the situation demands another striking option.

Protecting the Under-21s

Mancini has decided against a full-scale revolution. Not yet.

To avoid stripping Italy’s Under-21 side at a crucial moment, he will leave several of the country’s brightest young talents where they are. Cher Ndour, Niccolo Pisilli and Luca Koleosho are all set to stay with Bernardo Baldini’s squad for their vital European qualifiers.

It is a calculated choice. The senior side gets an injection of new blood, but the pathway remains intact and the Under-21s keep their leaders for a defining campaign of their own.

Nations League stakes and the road to Euro 2028

The stakes for this window stretch beyond the next fortnight.

Italy are targeting a top-two finish in Nations League Group A, a requirement to reach the quarter-finals and a key marker for Mancini’s second reign. With four games crammed into 11 days, squad rotation will not just be useful, it will be essential.

These fixtures also carry weight for the future. The results will influence Italy’s seeding for the Euro 2028 qualification draw in Belfast, shaping the difficulty of the road back to another major tournament.

Mancini’s new era starts with a sprawling squad, a punishing schedule and little margin for error. How quickly this enlarged group can find its identity will say a lot about where Italy are heading next.