FootXtra – Football News & Updates FootXtra brings you the latest football news, live updates, match previews, transfer stories, and in-depth analysis from leagues and tournaments around the world. Stay connected to the beautiful game every day.
Gennaro Gattuso will have to leave four of his Italy national team players out of his matchday squad to face Estonia in World Cup qualification on Saturday evening, and the morning’s reports suggest that those players will come from Fiorentina, Napoli and Brighton.
The Azzurri will take on Estonia in Tallinn on Saturday evening, which will be Gattusso’s third match in charge of his nation, and Italy’s fifth match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Italy beat Estonia 5-0 when the two sides met in Bergamo back in September, and will be hoping to do the double over Jürgen Henn’s side when they meet again on Saturday evening.
Italy sit second in Group I as things stand, with nine points from their first four matches, but are left requiring Norway to drop points if they wish to finish at the top of the group, which would mean automatic qualification to the final tournament. Second place will be enough for a spot in the play-off rounds.
Gattuso called up a squad of 27 players for the October World Cup qualifiers. He will, however, have to trim that list down to a matchday squad of 23 for the Estonia clash.
According to updates from TMW, the four players expected to be dropped by Gattuso on Saturday are back-up goalkeeper Alex Meret from Napoli, centre-back Diego Coppola from Brighton, and Fiorentina duo Hans Nicolussi Caviglia and Roberto Piccoli.
Meret has been a regular in recent Italy squads, but has not had an opportunity to play for his nation since 2022.
FIFA World Cup
