nigeriasport.ng

Federico Dimarco Withdraws from Italy's Nations League Camp

Federico Dimarco has pulled out of Italy’s latest Nations League camp, with Aston Villa full-back Matteo Ruggeri drafted in as his replacement, the FIGC confirmed on Monday.

The Inter wing-back, reigning Serie A MVP and a key reference point on the left flank, had reported to Coverciano as planned but did not receive the all-clear after medical tests. He will now return to his club.

“Following the medical test carried out at Coverciano, Inter defender Federico Dimarco, who has not recovered from a physical issue he suffered with his club, is unavailable for the upcoming national team commitments and will leave the camp in the next few hours,” read the FIGC statement. “In his place, Roberto Mancini has called up Aston Villa defender Matteo Ruggeri.”

For Mancini, back in charge of the Azzurri for his first camp since being re-appointed CT in the summer, it is another early adjustment in a squad already full of new faces and fresh storylines.

Azzurri camp opens with changes

The national team began assembling on Sunday evening ahead of a demanding Nations League run: Belgium on September 25, Turkiye on September 28, France on October 2 and a second meeting with Turkiye on October 5.

Mancini had unveiled his list on Friday, lighting a spark with nine first-time call-ups, including Michael Kayode, Antonio Vergara, Alessandro Romano, Issa Doumbia and Mohamed Ali Zoma. The message was clear: nobody’s place is guaranteed, and the door is wide open to form and potential.

The first twist came almost immediately. Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante withdrew on Sunday with a physical issue, with Como’s Samuele Ricci stepping in. Dimarco’s exit, confirmed a day later, adds to the sense of a camp in motion rather than one set in stone.

Ruggeri, formerly of Atalanta and now at Aston Villa in the Premier League, seizes a major opportunity. He arrives as a like-for-like option on the left, but with a very different international profile to the established Inter man he replaces.

Mancini’s reshaped Italy

Even with the late changes, Mancini’s group blends established pillars with a wave of younger and less-tested options.

The latest Italy squad

  • Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Massimo Pessina (Bologna), Guglielmo Vicario (Juventus).
  • Defenders: Honest Ahanor (Crystal Palace), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Diego Coppola (Paris FC), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Daniele Ghilardi (Roma), Michael Kayode (Brentford), Eddy Kouadio (Monza), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Matteo Ruggeri (Aston Villa), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta).
  • Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Issa Doumbia (Sporting CP), Nicolò Fagioli (Fiorentina), Davide Frattesi (Lazio), Rolando Mandragora (Torino), Samuele Ricci (Como), Alessandro Romano (Cagliari), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle).

The fixtures come thick and fast, the opposition is elite, and Mancini is already having to shuffle his pack. For Ruggeri and the other newcomers, it is exactly the kind of chaotic opening that can turn a first call-up into a lasting place in the Azzurri’s next cycle.

Related Articles