Roberto Mancini's Italy Squad for Nations League: A Bold Approach

Roberto Mancini has never been afraid of a bold call. Now, on the brink of his second spell in charge of Italy, he is preparing to name a sprawling squad of up to 35 players for a September schedule that looks more like a tournament than a simple international window.

Eight years on from his initial appointment in May 2018, the architect of Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph returns to the Azzurri bench facing a different landscape, a different generation, and the same unforgiving expectations.

Four Games, Eleven Days, No Hiding

The size of the squad tells its own story. Italy will cram four Nations League fixtures into 11 days, a run that will stretch even the deepest groups in Europe.

It starts in Rome on 25 September against Belgium, a meeting that still carries the residue of recent tournament clashes. Then comes a demanding away double-header in Turkey and France, before a return to Bologna to host Turkey again. Travel, recovery, rotation: this is not a window for half-measures.

Mancini’s response? Cast the net wide. Very wide.

New Faces, New Energy

Among the most eye-catching details from the leaked list are several uncapped names: Romano, Zoma, and Samuel Inacio. Doumbia and Ahanor are also in the frame for a first taste of senior international football.

Romano’s inclusion would be a reward for form and timing. Italy are short of convincing options in central midfield, and the youngster’s recent performances have pushed him into serious contention. He is not being talked about as a token addition; he is being weighed as a solution.

Zoma, based in Germany, offers something Mancini’s attack has cried out for: width and direct running. Italy’s forward line has too often felt narrow and predictable since the high of Euro 2020. A wide player willing to stretch the pitch and attack space changes the geometry of this team.

Samuel Inacio, Doumbia, Ahanor – these are the kind of names that tell you Mancini is thinking beyond the next game. He is looking at the cycle.

Donnarumma and the Battle of the Gloves

In goal, the hierarchy remains clear but the competition tightens. Gianluigi Donnarumma stays the undisputed No. 1, yet he will not be alone at the top of the depth chart.

Marco Carnesecchi and Guglielmo Vicario are expected to be there, and Bologna’s Pessina could join them. His emergence as a possible call-up underlines how aggressively Mancini wants to test every viable option in a compressed window. Four games, four keepers, and plenty of chances to see who can handle the shirt when the stakes rise.

The Old Guard Still Matters

For all the talk of revolution, the spine of Euro 2020 is still central to Mancini’s plans.

Nicolò Barella, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Bryan Cristante, Alessandro Bastoni – these are not just survivors from that summer; they are the reference points. The returning coach clearly intends to build his new version of Italy around familiar pillars who know what it takes to navigate a tournament and a dressing room under pressure.

There could even be a twist of nostalgia. Federico Bernardeschi, once a key figure in the Euro-winning side, is under consideration for a recall. So is Rolando Mandragora. Neither name screams “future of the Azzurri,” but both carry experience and tactical flexibility, qualities that matter when the schedule leaves no room for error.

Injuries Bite, Plans Adjust

The optimism of a new era meets a harsh reality: injuries.

Federico Chiesa will not be there. Neither will Nicolò Zaniolo, Manuel Locatelli, or Alessandro Buongiorno. Each absence removes a different weapon – Chiesa’s explosiveness, Zaniolo’s unpredictability, Locatelli’s control, Buongiorno’s defensive presence.

These setbacks partly explain the expanded squad and the willingness to dip into less-tested options. Mancini is not simply experimenting for the sake of it; he is patching holes while trying to build a coherent side on the fly.

Mateo Retegui, meanwhile, remains on holiday in Argentina. His situation is a reminder of how fluid this call-up could be. If the need arises, he can still be summoned. Mancini wants flexibility, and Retegui is very much in that “break glass if required” category.

Protecting the Under-21s

One temptation would have been to strip the Under-21s and fast-track a new wave. Mancini has resisted.

To avoid weakening Bernardo Baldini’s Italy Under-21 squad ahead of crucial European qualifiers, he has delayed any full-scale revolution. Cher Ndour, Niccolo Pisilli, and Luca Koleosho will stay put with the U21s, where their presence is considered vital.

This is a calculated choice. Mancini is trying to balance the short-term demands of a brutal Nations League run with the long-term health of the national pool. Italy have paid before for burning through generations too quickly. This time, the senior side will stretch, not raid.

Rotation as a Weapon

With four matches in such a tight window, rotation is not a luxury; it is a survival strategy.

Mancini knows he must manage minutes, manage legs, and still deliver results. Italy are targeting a top-two finish in Nations League Group A, a position that would secure a place in the quarter-finals and keep the team in the company it expects to keep.

Every selection choice will carry tactical and physical consequences. A wide squad gives him the freedom to adapt game by game, opponent by opponent, without driving his key players into the ground.

Stakes Beyond September

These fixtures are not just about the Nations League table. They will feed directly into the seeding for the Euro 2028 qualification draw in Belfast.

Perform well now, and Italy walk into that draw with a stronger hand. Stumble, and the path to the next European Championship becomes unnecessarily complicated.

So Mancini returns with a long list of names, a tight calendar, and little margin for missteps. The experiment begins immediately: can this expanded, hybrid Italy – part Euro 2020 core, part new blood – prove itself fast enough to secure results today while quietly shaping the team that will chase trophies tomorrow?