18 Italy players already guaranteed a place in World Cup play-off campaign

The Italy national team are set to take part in the World Cup play-offs for the third cycle in a row after finishing second in their qualifying group, and there are 18 players who are already practically guaranteed a place in Gennaro Gattuso’s squad for March’s crucial fixtures, reports in Italy suggest. 

The Azzurri were defeated 4-1 by Norway on home soil in their final match of the World Cup qualifying group stage, which confirmed a second place finish. Norway topped Group I, which means that they have qualified directly for the final tournament in the summer. 

Italy will face one of Sweden, Romania, Northern Ireland, North Macedonia or Wales in the World Cup play-off semi-finals. Depending on various results both on Tuesday evening and in the play-off semis in March, Italy could potentially face Wales, Scotland, Slovakia, Czechia, the Republic of Ireland, Albania, Bosnia or Kosovo in the play-off final should they qualify. 

As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, there are already 18 players who are practically guaranteed a place in Gattuso’s squad for the play-off campaign in March. They are as follows. 

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham). 

Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni  (Inter), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Leonardo Spinazzola (Napoli), Gianluca Mancini (Roma). 

Midfielders: Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Nicolo Barella (Inter), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle). 

Forwards: Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Giacomo Raspadori (Atletico Madrid), Matteo Politano (Napoli). 

There is also a list of players who La Gazzetta dello Sport deem ‘likely’ to be involved, but whose places are not quite as secure as the aforementioned 18. 

They include the likes of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Matteo Gabbia, Raoul Bellanova, Davide Frattesi, Riccardo Orsolini and Mattia Zaccagni. 

As things stand, the ‘outsiders’ include the likes of Giorgio Scalvini, Destiny Udogie, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Samuele Ricci, Federico Chiesa, Nicolo Cambiaghi and Nicolo Zaniolo.