Verratti returns but Napoli players left out of Italy squad

ROME: Marco Verratti returns to the Italy squad but coach Roberto Mancini left out all Napoli players over fears of coronavirus when he named his group for the latest round of international matches.

Napoli, whose last game was against Genoa where there has been an outbreak, announced two cases of Covid-19 on Friday, including a player, two days before they are due to play Juventus today. Of the three Neapolitans who were on Mancini’s list in September, striker Lorenzo Insigne was already ruled out by injury while goalkeeper Alex Meret and defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo have been left out over concerns about the virus.

“As a precaution, no player from Napoli has been included in this list, pending the evolution of the epidemiological situation after the recent positive cases of Covid-19,” the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said in a press release.

Mancini’s expanded 34-man squad includes Paris St Germain midfielder Verratti who returns after missing the September matches through injury and is joined by new club teammate Alessandro Florenzi. Several players are back more than two years after their last call: Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham), Manuel Lazzari (Lazio) and Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo).

Verona goalkeeper Marco Silvestri is named for the first time.

Italy face Moldova in a friendly on Oct 7 in Florence before taking on Poland in Gdansk and Holland in Bergamo in the Nations League.

Italy, undefeated for two years now, got off to a good start in their Nations League campaign, taking the lead of Group 1 after beating Holland 1-0 and drawing 1-1 with Bosnia.