Juventus Defender Federico Gatti Joins Italy Squad for Nations League Matches
Italy’s national soccer team has called up Juventus defender Federico Gatti as a last-minute addition ahead of their Nations League matches against France and Belgium. This decision reportedly stems from concerns regarding Alessandro Bastoni’s disciplinary history.
The Azzurri will wrap up their Group A fixtures with a match against France at San Siro on Thursday, followed by an encounter with Belgium on Sunday evening.
Coach Roberto Mancini had already lost Roma defender Gianluca Mancini due to injury, leading him to recruit 18-year-old Udinese talent Matteo Palma. Late on Sunday night, Mancini confirmed Gatti’s inclusion in the training camp at Coverciano.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, the move was made due to worries that Bastoni, currently one yellow card away from suspension, might face disciplinary action during the game against France. Along with Bastoni, several players, including Gianluigi Donnarumma, Niccolò Fagioli, Gianluca Scamacca, and Antonio Vergara, also find themselves in a similar situation, threatening their availability for the match in Brussels if they receive a yellow card.
Should Bastoni be suspended, the central defensive options would be limited to Giorgio Scalvini, Honest Ahanor, Matteo Palma, Daniele Ghilardi, and Riccardo Calafiori. Therefore, the inclusion of Gatti provides an extra layer of experience as the team prepares for these crucial fixtures.
Italy currently sits in second place in Group A, with France leading on 10 points, Italy following with seven, and Belgium close behind at six. Turkiye finds itself at the bottom of the table without a single win in four matches.
