Mancini to rotate Italy against Turkiye: ‘Impossible to have one player for four games this close’

Mancini to rotate Italy against Turkiye: ‘Impossible to have one player for four games this close’ Roberto Mancini has called for perspective after Italy’s defeat to Belgium, insisting the reaction at home has been disproportionate and confirming he will rotate his side in Bursa. With quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb , the coach told Sky Sport Italia: “I think we have to stay calm and not get agitated in the way that is happening. We played against a strong side in Belgium, who did cause us difficulty, but then the team reacted well. Matches are made of episodes, the game could have changed, even if Belgium deserved to win in the end.” Roberto Mancini speaks at a press conference before Italy’s Nations League match against Belgium (figc.it) Italy coach Mancini confirms changes for Bursa With four fixtures inside eleven days, wholesale rotation was always likely. “In terms of personnel we will definitely change, it is impossible to have one player available for four games this close together,” he said. “We can also assess other players in matches this important.” That points to opportunities for those who watched from the bench at the Olimpico, and possibly a first start for one of the uncapped contingent. Mancini named nine players without a senior cap in his squad, and two of them, Issa Doumbia and Mohamed Ali Zoma, were introduced late on Friday with the game already lost. He was unmoved by criticism of Alessandro Romano , handed a debut in central midfield and overwhelmed by Kevin De Bruyne. “It doesn’t affect me. I think Romano had a very good game. Mistakes happen to everyone, including more experienced players. We are happy with his debut against Belgium.” INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 25: Vincenzo Montella, Head Coach of Turkiye, looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Türkiye and USA at Los Angeles Stadium on June 25, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images) The trip to Turkiye brings a reunion with Vincenzo Montella, his forward line partner at Sampdoria in the 1990s, and Mancini expects a difficult evening. “A strong Turkiye, full of talented players. They always have been, and now even more so. Despite going out of the World Cup in the group, they did not deserve to. It will definitely be a hard game.” Asked about their playing days together, he was warm. “The important thing is still being here, at this level. Despite his physical build, he wasn’t huge, he was extremely quick, extremely good, and he had a sense for goal like few others.” Italy sit bottom of Group A1 and need a result to avoid a difficult trip to Paris becoming a defining one.