Football Italia
·14 November 2024
Football Italia
·14 November 2024
Nicolò Barella returns to Italy’s XI in a Nations League game against Romelu Lukaku’s Belgium this evening.
It kicks off at 20:45 GMT (19:45 CET) at the King Baudouin Stadium.
The Azzurri must cope without Samuele Ricci, Riccardo Calafiori, Gianluca Scamacca and Federico Chiesa.
However, Inter star Barella returns after missing the latest four games, joining Davide Frattesi, Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Rovella in the middle of the park. The latter will make his senior Italy debut.
Mateo Retegui and Italy celebrate EPA-EFE/ETTORE FERRARI
Pietro Comuzzo and Nicolò Savona have also received their first Italy call-ups, while Caleb Okoli is waiting to make his first Azzurri appearance.
Serie A leading scorer Mateo Retegui will get the nod up front, leaving Moise Kean on the bench.
Napoli star Lukaku is expected to start for the Red Devils under Italian coach Domenico Tedesco. Big Rom also missed the previous four international fixtures to get in shape after missing the pre-season at Chelsea.
The match will not be televised in the UK, but it is available for free on the ViaPlay international YouTube channel. If you are in Italy, you can watch the TV on Rai or RaiPlay. In the USA, the game will be available to stream online on Fubo, Tubi and ViX.
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Casteels; Debast, Faes, Theate, Castagne; Mangala, Onana; Bakayoko, Trossard, De Cuyper; Lukaku.
Italy (3-5-1-1): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Bastoni; Cambiaso, Frattesi, Rovella, Tonali, Dimarco; Barella; Retegui.