Italy coach Antonio Conte has announced his preliminary squad for this summer’s European Championship.
The list features a number of surprise omissions including Francesco Acerbi, Andrea Pirlo and Sebastian Giovinco, as youngsters Daniele Rugani, Marco Benassi and Federico Bernardeschi have been called in their stead.
Riccardo Montolivo and Thiago Motta both picked up knocks in their respective domestic cup finals but have been called nonetheless and their fitness levels will be reevaluated in the coming days.
The final 23-man squads must be announced by May 31, so Conte has further decisions to make over the course of the next week.
Italy’s Euro 2016 Preliminary Squad:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain)
Defenders: Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham), Daniele Rugani (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Manchester United), Mattia De Sciglio (Milan), Davide Zappacosta (Torino)
Midfielders: Marco Benassi (Torino), Giacomo Bonaventura (Milan), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Jorginho (Napoli), Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Stefano Sturaro (Juventus), Antonio Candreva (Lazio)
Forwards: Eder (Inter), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Graziano Pelle (Southampton), Simone Zaza (Juventus), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma)
