Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Italy could line up for Sunday’s international friendly clash with Bosnia-Herzegovina
Italy trio Ivan Provedel, Samuele Ricci and Riccardo Orsolini will not be involved in Sunday’s friendly fixture against Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.
All three players were initially named in Luciano Spalletti‘s 29-man provisional group and were in the matchday squad for Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Turkey, but they have since been cut from Italy’s final 26-man squad which was confirmed on Thursday.
Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was handed just his second international cap on Tuesday, but he could be replaced by Italy captain and first-choice shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma on Sunday.
A back four of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Gianluca Mancini, Alessandro Bastoni and Federico Dimarco is set to remain intact, unless Spalletti wishes to give the likes of Alessandro Buongiorno, Riccardo Calafiori or Raoul Bellanova – who have just five caps between them – a late experimental run-out.
Midfielder Nicolo Barella and goalkeeper Alex Meret have emerged as injury doubts and are unlikely to be risked against Bosnia. Both players missed the draw with Turkey, with the latter sustaining a muscle problem during the warm-up.
Arsenal’s Jorginho started as captain in midweek and could continue in midfield alongside Roma duo Bryan Cristante and Lorenzo Pellegrini, although Michael Folorunsho, Davide Frattesi and Nicolo Fagioli – who has recently returned from a seven-month betting ban – will also be pushing to start.
In the absence of Orsolini, who started against Turkey, either Giacomo Raspadori, Mattia Zaccagni or Stephan El Shaarawy could play on the right side of attack as Federico Chiesa operates on the left, while Gianluca Scamacca will battle with Mateo Retegui for a start up front.
Italy possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Cristante, Jorginho; Raspadori, Pellegrini, Chiesa; Scamacca
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