Alphadjo Cisse has been handed the no.7 shirt ahead of his potential first cap for the Italy national team, as Roberto Mancini confirms his squad numbers for Sunday’s decisive Nations League clash against Belgium.
Italy will take on Belgium in Brussels in their final Nations League group stage fixture at 19.45 GMT on Sunday evening. The Azzurri lead the group on 10 points, ahead of France on goal difference, Belgium are in third place on nine points and Turkey are in fourth on zero.
Italy require a draw away against Belgium to guarantee their place in the Nations League quarter-finals. A victory is required to win the group without relying on results elsewhere. If Italy lose, they will need Turkey to beat France if they are still to qualify for the quarter-finals.
As is customary for Nations League group stage fixtures, Mancini has whittled his selections down to a matchday squad of 23 ahead of the Belgium test on Sunday evening.
Following Thursday’s 3-1 victory over France, there will be no Davide Frattesi or Nicolo Cambiaghi, who have not recovered and have not been named in the matchday squad to face Belgium. Sebastiano Esposito, Samuele Ricci, Federico Gatti and Matteo Palma will also watch the Belgium game from the stands. Gatti and Palma were also left out against France.
Cisse, Mattia Liberali, Honest Ahanor and Niccolo Pisilli, who were all left out against France, have been called into the matchday squad of 23 to face Belgium.
Cisse will take the no.7 shirt left vacant by Sebastiano Esposito, Liberali will wear the no.19 that had been donned by Cambiaghi against France, Ahanor will inherit the no.4 shirt assigned to Ricci last time out and Pisilli has taken the no.16 shirt worn by Frattesi on Thursday.
All of the other squad numbers remain the same: Pio Esposito keeps hold of his no.9 shirt and Nicolo Fagioli will continue to wear the iconic no.10.