Italy are top of Group F on 17 points with a three-points lead over Sweden, who have played a game more. The U21s now return with three more games in the group as they aim to secure direct qualification for the Euros.

Coach Paolo Nicolato today named his 26-man squad for the upcoming games, with a first call-up handed to Napoli defender Alessandro Zanoli. The group will meet at Tirrenia this Sunday to start preparations for their three upcoming European qualifiers. The Azzurri first travel to Differdange to take on Luxembourg on 6 June, before travelling to Helsingborg where they will face Sweden on 9 June. The group will then return to Italy as they host the Republic of Ireland in Ascoli on 14 June.

Italy, who beat Ireland 2-0 in their last game in Dublin back in November, return to Ascoli for the first time in 50 years since their last game on 23 February 1972, a friendly against Yugoslavia.

 

 

 

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Cremonese), Alessandro Plizzari (Lecce), Stefano Turati (Reggina);

Defenders: Raoul Bellanova (Cagliari), Andrea Cambiaso (Genoa), Simone Canestrelli (Crotone), Andrea Carboni (Cagliari), Matteo Lovato (Cagliari), Caleb Okoli (Cremonese), Fabiano Parisi (Empoli), Lorenzo Pirola (Monza), Giacomo Quagliata (Heracles Almelo), Mattia Viti (Empoli), Iyenoma Destiny Udogie (Udinese), Alessandro Zanoli (Napoli);

Midfielders: Edoardo Bove (Roma), Nicolò Fagioli (Cremonese), Gianluca Gaetano (Cremonese), Filippo Ranocchia (Vicenza), Nicolò Rovella (Genoa);

Attackers: Nicolò Cambiaghi (Pordenone), Lorenzo Colombo (Spal), Sebastiano Esposito (Basel), Pietro Pellegri (Torino), Emanuel Vignato (Bologna), Kelvin K. Yeboah (Genoa).