Alessandro Bastoni Boosts Italy's World Cup Hopes

Alessandro Bastoni has handed Italy a badly needed dose of optimism ahead of their do-or-die World Cup play-off against Northern Ireland.

The Inter Milan centre-back, who came out of the derby nursing an ankle problem after a clash with Adrien Rabiot, had initially been restricted to light work. Running in straight lines, testing changes of direction, nothing that truly stretched the joint. For a few days, it felt like a race against time.

Now the picture looks brighter.

According to updates from the Italian Football Federation, Bastoni has stepped back onto the pitch with the ball at his feet, taking part in today’s session. He did not yet hit full intensity, but the key detail is that he has rejoined football-specific work and is said to be progressing in line with the original recovery plan.

For Italy, that matters.

This is not just another squad player edging back to fitness. Bastoni is central to the defensive structure, a left-sided organiser who brings composure, passing range and personality to the back line. In a one-off, high-pressure tie with World Cup qualification on the line, those qualities can tilt a night.

The timing of his improvement could hardly be better. As the squad sharpens its focus on Northern Ireland and the tension rises around a fixture that will shape the road to the 2026 World Cup, the prospect of having Bastoni available changes the mood in camp. It offers the coach flexibility: maintain the usual defensive hierarchy, or improvise without one of its pillars.

Yet the green light has not been given fully. Not yet.

There is still no guarantee that Bastoni will start the play-off. The staff will use the next training session as a decisive checkpoint, monitoring his response to increased workload before choosing whether he is ready to be thrown straight into the starting XI or used from the bench as insurance.

Italy now wait for that final session, and with it, a final call: is Bastoni fit enough to anchor the defence in their biggest game of the cycle, or will he be asked to watch the opening whistle from the sidelines?