A month ago, Roberto Mancini’s side left Yerevan with three points in the bag which helped them to seal qualification last night against Greece. At 18:30 CEST tomorrow, the Under-21 National Team will look to match that result away at Armenia and they’ll have to return to goalscoring ways following the goalless draw with group leaders Ireland in Dublin.

Paolo Nicolato will be without Kean who was sent off in Ireland and is now suspended. He has other options though in Cutrone, Pinamonti, Scamacca and Sottil who will want to feature against a defence that has conceded seven goals in three games. The Coach has had to replace Tonali who was called up by the senior side and Riccardo Marchizza who picked up an injury. “Perhaps there will be more changes,” announced Nicolato. “We need to evaluate some important situations and we’ll only decide on our team at the last moment.”

The formation should remain a 4-3-3. “I think that this will remain the foundation. We’re at the start of our journey and we need to work on this. To do a good job, time is needed. The start of a two-year cycle is always a particular moment and you need to stay calm and follow this path while thinking that every match is its own story. We’re at the end of a tough ten days with lots of travelling and temperature changes which have called some small issues. We hope to play a good match tomorrow, we want to do so.”

In the morning, Italy trained at the Academy Stadium. Armenia have been galvanised by their first win of qualifiers which came on Friday against Luxembourg following a 1-0 loss to Ireland and a 6-1 defeat against Iceland. “They’re an energetic side, very hardened and we know that we’ll face difficulties tomorrow. We need to be ready, we need to expect issues and be ready to find the solutions.”

Squad List

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Trapani), Mattia Del Favero (Piacenza), Alessandro Plizzari (Livorno);

Defenders: Claud Adjapong (Verona), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Davide Bettella (Pescara), Enrico Delprato (Livorno), Matteo Gabbia (Milan), Luca Pellegrini (Cagliari), Luca Ranieri (Fiorentina), Marco Sala (Virtus Entella);

Midfielders: Marco Carraro (Perugia), Davide Frattesi (Empoli), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Giulio Maggiore (Spezia), Fabio Maistro (Salernitana), Niccolò Zanellato (Crotone);

Forwards: Patrick Cutrone (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Andrea Pinamonti (Genoa), Gianluca Scamacca (Ascoli), Riccardo Sottil (Fiorentina).

Staff – Head Coach: Paolo Nicolato; Delegation Head: Massimo Paganin; Accompanying Director: Vincenzo Marinelli; Youth Co-ordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Assistant Coach: Mirco Gasparetto; Secretary: Manfredi Martino; Fitness Coach: Vincenzo Pincolini; Goalkeeping Coach: Gian Matteo Mareggini; Match analyst: Francesco Bordin; Doctors: Angelo De Carli and Vincenzo Santoriello; Physiologist: Cristian Osgnach; Physiotherapists: Emiliano Bozzetti and Nicola Sanna; Osteopath: Cristiano Pompili.

Schedule

Sunday 13 October 2019
13:30 – Press conference with Head Coach Nicolato at the RADISSON BLUE YEREVAN
20:30 – Official training at FFA Academy Stadium (open to the press for the first 15 minutes)

Monday 14 October 2019
09:00 – Exclusive RAI TV interview with Head Coach Nicolato
11:00 – Training (closed)
20:30 – FFA Academy Stadium in Yerevan: ARMENIA VS. ITALY
followed by a post-match press conference, dinner and return to Italy on a chartered flight and end of the national meet