Blue debut for Cagliari striker with veterans Barella, Sirigu and Cragno Mario Balotelli is back in blue. The internship starts tomorrow and ends on Friday
CAGLIARI. The Quattro Mori flag will fly in Coverciano. Two Cagliari players (Joao Pedro and Cragno) and two Sardinians (Barella and Sirigu) have been called up by Italy coach Roberto Mancini for the three-day internship that begins tomorrow. The rossoblù striker (10 goals so far) is on his first call and will try to shine. There is a shortage of strikers and the blue selector wants to evaluate all the options. Not only in terms of the playoffs but also for the future and, hopefully, for the World Cup in Qatar. The positive news in addition to Joao is the Chianata di Cragno. It means that the goalkeeper has been negativized and is back available for the next match, on February 6 in Bergamo with Atalanta.
The “Sardinians”. Nicolò Barella is now a staple in blue, as well as Salvatore Sirigu who the coach considers an important locker room man. Alessio Cragno has a giant like Donnarumma in front of him but he wants to climb the hierarchy and maybe be the deputy in the future. Joao Pedro has a great chance. It is useless to deny that an international striker is missing right now. It is up to the Brazilian to convince the coach that he can be the man who solves the problems.
The program. 35 have been called up. Mario Balotelli returns after more than three years, while goalkeeper Carnesecchi, defenders Luiz Felipe and Scalvini, midfielders Fagioli, Frattesi and Ricci, as well as Joao Pedro are on their first call to the national team. The players of the Azzurri group who are currently injured could be added to the list, an idea by Mancini to allow him to take part in the preparatory tactical work for the March matches. The meeting is scheduled for 12 noon tomorrow at the Federal Technical Center. Three training sessions are scheduled, two in the afternoon and one on Friday morning, when the meeting will end and there will be the re-lines.
the called up. Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Cremonese), Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Alex Meret (Naples), Salvatore Sirigu (Genoa). Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Davide Calabria (Milan), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Mattia De Sciglio (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Naples), Alessandro Florenzi (Milan), Luiz Felipe (Lazio) ), Gianluca Mancini (Rome), Luca Pellegrini (Juventus), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta); Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Rome), Nicolò Fagioli (Cremonese), Davide Frattesi (Sassuolo), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Samuele Ricci (Empoli), Stefano Sensi (Inter), Sandro Tonali (Milan); Forwards: Mario Balotelli (Adana Demirspor), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Naples), Joao Pedro (Cagliari), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Gianluca Scamacca (Sassuolo) , Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), Nicolò Zaniolo (Rome).