Mancini's Bold Italy Squad: Maldini, Mandragora, and Palestra's Omission

Roberto Mancini’s first Italy squad of this new cycle does not tiptoe into view. It arrives with sharp edges, awkward questions and a couple of genuinely eye-catching recalls.

Across this international window, the Azzurri face a demanding Nations League run: Belgium on September 25, Turkiye on September 28, France on October 2, then Turkiye again on October 5. The group stage then closes with France on November 12 and a decisive-looking trip to Belgium on November 15. Mancini has chosen this stretch to shake things up.

Nine new faces, and yet it is a familiar surname that dominates the conversation.

Maldini picked amid controversy

Daniel Maldini’s inclusion had looked unlikely only a few weeks ago. The forward is under scrutiny after a car accident in which his licence was suspended for testing narrowly over the alcohol limit. The incident triggered a wave of speculation, including an inaccurate report that he had failed a drugs test. Toxicology results later cleared him, with all tests coming back negative.

Mancini has still made a bold call. He brings Maldini into a squad that will be under the microscope throughout this Nations League run, while Cagliari have already nailed their colours to the mast by insisting he will start their next Serie A match this weekend. It is a show of faith from club and country, and it carries weight.

Palestra pays for stalled Chelsea start

On the other side of the ledger sits Marco Palestra. The Chelsea player had been widely tipped to miss out, and Mancini has confirmed that reading. An injury in pre-season has delayed his competitive debut in London, and without minutes at club level, his international case was always fragile.

In a squad built for intensity and immediate impact, the absence of Palestra underlines a clear message: reputation alone does not buy a place.

Old names, new chapter

Mancini has not only looked to the future. He has also reopened doors that had seemed firmly shut.

Nicolò Fagioli and Nicolò Zaniolo both return after being frozen out since October 2024. For Fagioli, the Fiorentina midfielder with seven senior caps, this is a chance to re-establish himself in a department that Mancini has often rebuilt on the fly.

Zaniolo’s story with the national team has always carried a touch of drama. Mancini famously handed him his first Italy call-up before he had even played a single Serie A match, a decision that set the tone for the coach’s willingness to back raw talent. Zaniolo now sits on 19 caps, the last of them a friendly against Ecuador in March 2024. His most recent competitive appearance dates back to November 2023 against Ukraine. The gap feels longer than the calendar suggests. This recall hints at unfinished business.

Mandragora’s five-year wait ends

The most remarkable name on the list, though, is Rolando Mandragora.

The Torino midfielder has been out of the Italy picture since March 2021, an absence stretching over five years. His only senior cap arrived in June 2018, a 3-1 friendly defeat to France that looked, for a long time, like it might stand as a one-off footnote.

Mancini has decided otherwise. At 29, Mandragora returns not as a prospect, but as a seasoned professional who has rebuilt his career away from the spotlight. His selection hints at a desire for balance: fresh blood, yes, but also players hardened by years of Serie A battles.

A squad with edges, not comfort

This is not a conservative first list from Mancini. It is a squad that embraces risk: a Maldini under scrutiny, a pair of talented but interrupted careers in Fagioli and Zaniolo, and a Mandragora story that refuses to fade.

The Nations League will test how quickly this mix can gel. Belgium and France will not wait for Italy to find their rhythm. Mancini has made his choices; now the question is whether this blend of redemption arcs and new beginnings can carry the Azzurri through a brutal autumn without blinking.