BURSA, TURKEY – SEPTEMBER 28: Italy poses for a team photo before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group stage match between Turkey and Italy at Atatürk Sports Complex Matli Stadium on September 28, 2026 in Bursa, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmed Mora/Getty Images)
Squad numbers have been confirmed for Italy’s upcoming Nations League test away to France, as Fiorentina’s Niccolo Fagioli will take the prestigious No.10 shirt after Giacomo Raspadori left the squad.
Roberto Mancini faces his toughest test yet in his second season in charge of the Italian national team, with Zinedine Zidane’s first home match in charge of Les Bleues. Kick-off will be at 19.45 BST.
Italy are coming off a 2-0 defeat at home to Belgium and a 4-1 away win against Turkey on Monday night. France defeated both Turkey and France in the international break between September and October with a score of 1:0.
As this was a competitive Nations League game, Mancini had to reduce his matchday squad to 23, leaving Massimo Pessina, Diego Coppola, Daniele Ghilardi, Eddy Koaudio, Alessandro Romano, Rolando Mandragora, Nicolo Cambiaghi and Samuele Inachi.
Honest Ahanor was also left out of the squad ahead of the France match and was instead introduced to Silvio Baldini and Italy U21s ahead of Monday night’s crucial European Championship qualifier against Poland.
Nicolo Zaniolo and Giacomo Raspadori also left the team due to injury and were not replaced.
Federico Dimarco and Bryan Cristante dropped out of the squad at the start of the international break and were replaced by Matteo Ruggeri and Samuele Ricci, who could play against France on Friday.
Pre-match reports suggest it will be a 4-3-3 with Michael Kayode and Riccardo Calafiori at center back with either Alessandro Bastoni or Giorgio Scalvini or Gianluca Mancini.
Three of Sandro Tonali, Niccolo Barella, Davide Frattesi and Niccolo Fagioli are expected to start, although the fact that Italy’s No.10 shirt has been handed to Fagioli in Raspadori’s absence could be a sign that he will be given the nod.
The two Esposito brothers, Pio and Sebastiano, are in line to start in attack alongside Daniel Maldini or Antonio Vergara, according to the latest reports in Italy.
Below are the matchday squad numbers for Friday’s Nations League clash with France.
Italy squad numbers for France
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK)
- Michael Kayode
- Matteo Ruggeri
- Samuele Ricci
- Riccardo Calafiori
- Alessandro Bastoni
- Francesco Pio Esposito
- Sandro Tonali
- Moise Kean
- Niccolo Fagioli
- Gianluca Scamacca
- Marco Karnesekci (GK)
- William Vicar (GK)
- Muhammad Ali Friday
- Jesus Dumbia
- Davide Frattesi
- Daniel Maldini
- Nicolo Barella
- Giorgio Scalvini
- Sebastiano Esposito
- Antonio Vergara
- Giovanni Di Lorenzo
- Gianluca Mancini