One new call-up in Gattuso’s latest Italy national team squad

Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile is the only new inclusion in Gennaro Gattuso’s latest Italy national team squad to take on Moldova and Norway in World Cup qualification in November. 

Gattuso confirmed a squad of 27 players for this month’s international break on Friday, which includes a first call-up for Cagliari stopper Caprile.

The 24-year-old has enjoyed a positive start to his first full season as a no.1 in the top flight. He left Napoli, where he had served as an understudy to Alex Meret, during the January transfer window last season in an exchange deal that saw Simone Scuffet temporarily move in the opposite direction.

Since then, Caprile has started in all but one of Cagliari’s league matches, conceding just 23 goals from 22 appearances in Serie A last term, while keeping eight clean sheets in the process. He has conceded 14 from 10 outings in the league so far this campaign.

There are also returns to the Italy national team squad for Alessandro Buongiorno and Samuele Ricci, who have not been called up since March and June respectively. 

The Moldova and Norway matches are the last World Cup qualifying group stage matches on Italy’s schedule.

Italy have mathematically secured a second-place finish in the group following the 3-0 win over Israel in October. Norway sit in first place, three points above the Azzurri, but as they have such a large advantage on goal difference (+26 vs. +10), Italy’s only real hope of finishing top is if Norway drop points against Estonia. 

If Italy finish in second place in the group, they will have to endure another qualification play-off campaign. The 12 teams that finished second in their World Cup qualification groups will enter the play-offs, along with the four best-ranking sides from the most recent Nations League campaign who did not finish first or second in their groups. 

Goalkeepers: Elia Caprile (Cagliari), Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham).

Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Matteo Gabbia (Milan), Gianluca Mancini (Roma).

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Samuele Ricci (Milan), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle).

Forwards: Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Atletico Madrid), Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio).