Five outfield players from Mancini’s 34-man Italy squad still waiting for first chances

Five outfield players from Mancini’s 34-man Italy squad still waiting for first chances Italy are three games into their 2026-27 Nations League campaign, but five outfield players from Roberto Mancini’s squad are still waiting for their first opportunities of the September-October international break. Which players have not featured for Italy this international break? The Mancini revolution is beginning to pick up momentum despite a disappointing start to his second spell as head coach of the Italy national team. The Azzurri were beaten 2-0 at home by Belgium at the start of the break, but have since bounced back with a 4-1 win away against Turkey and a 1-1 draw away against Zinedine Zidane’s France . PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 02: Michael Kayode of Italy crosses the ball whilst under pressure from Adrien Rabiot of France during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between France and Italy at Stade de France on October 02, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pauline Figuet/Getty Images) Mancini initially named a squad of 34 players for the September-October international break, which has since been reduced to 32 after Nicolo Zaniolo and Giacomo Raspadori withdrew through injury without being replaced. Federico Dimarco and Bryan Cristante also withdrew at the start of the camp, but were replaced by Matteo Ruggeri and Samuele Ricci respectively. Of the 32 players currently available, 28 are outfielders, and of those 28 outfielders, only five are still waiting for their first opportunities this international break. They are Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi, Monza loanee Eddy Kouadio, Como midfielder Ricci, Fiorentina midfielder Rolando Mandragora and Borussia Dortmund forward Samuele Inacio. BURSA, TURKEY – SEPTEMBER 28: Roberto Mancini, Head Coach of Italy, looks on before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Türkiye and Italy at Atatürk Spor Kompleksi Matli Stadyumu on September 28, 2026 in Bursa, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images) Players used: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Michael Kayode, Gianluca Mancini, Giorgio Scalvini, Diego Coppola, Alessandro Bastoni, Riccardo Calafiori, Matteo Ruggeri, Nicolo Barella, Davide Frattesi, Alessandro Romano, Sandro Tonali, Issa Doumbia, Nicolo Fagioli, Nicolo Cambiaghi, Mohamed Ali Zoma, Sebastiano Esposito, Giacomo Raspadori, Daniel Maldini, Antonio Vergara, Pio Esposito, Moise Kean, Gianluca Scamacca. Players not used: Marco Carnesecchi, Guglielmo Vicario, Massimo Pessina, Daniele Ghilardi, Eddy Kouadio, Samuele Ricci, Rolando Mandragora, Samuele Inacio. LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: Samuele Inacio of Borussia Dortmund during the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal FC and Borussia Dortmund at Emirates Stadium on August 09, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) There has been concern from some sections of the Italy support regarding Inacio specifically. Despite the fact that he earned his first and only cap for the Azzurri under Silvio Baldini back in June, that appearance came in a friendly, which means that he is still technically able to represent his father’s nation of birth, Brazil, at senior international level. The 18-year-old has been left out of the last three Italy matchday squads, but there is still a small chance that he gets a run-out when Italy take on Turkey in their final Nations League match of the international break on Monday. Head coach Roberto Mancini was recently asked about his decision to omit Inacio from the last three matches. “He’s a young player who still needs to develop,” said Mancini. “He’s 18. It takes time. He has to start training with us and build experience. Even if he’s at Borussia Dortmund, he hasn’t played much. We know his quality; he’ll surely be an important player for the national team, but he’s very young, so we need to give him time and let him understand what he can do.”