Which players Spalletti could cut from Italy squad for World Cup qualifiers | OneFootball

Corriere dello Sport reports that Federico Gatti could remain out of the Italy squad for World Cup qualifying matches in June, while Francesco Acerbi won’t return to the team despite meeting with Erling Haaland’s Norway.

Italy’s Nations League elimination against Germany sent the Azzurri to the World Cup Qualifying Group I alongside Norway, Israel, Moldova and Estonia.

The opening match has already been played, with Norway and Israel grabbing three points each before tonight’s meeting on the neutral turf of Debrecen in Hungary.

Which players Spalletti could cut from Italy squad for World Cup qualifiers

epa11984392 Head coach Luciano Spalletti of Italy gesutres during the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal, 2nd leg match between Germany and Italy in Dortmund, Germany, 23 March 2025. EPA-EFE/FRIEDEMANN VOGEL

Italy suffered a 5-4 aggregate defeat in the Nations League quarter-finals, and according to Corriere dello Sport, Spalletti is already thinking about the squad for the first 2026 World Cup Qualifying game against Norway on June 6.

The Rome-based paper reports Spalletti won’t call Inter defender Acerbi, who already stopped Haaland twice in Inter’s last two meetings with Manchester City. However, the experienced defender is not part of Spalletti’s long-term project, mostly due to his age.

The coach, in fact, is trying to rejuvenate the team, which also explains why Raoul Bellanova and Matteo Ruggeri were picked over Davide Zappacosta, who is getting more playing time and better performances at Atalanta.

According to the report, however, Bellanova risks not being part of the Italy team in June as Andrea Cambiaso will hopefully be available for games against Norway and Moldova.

The same goes for Ruggeri as Federico Dimarco will surely be called up in June if fit.

Gatti is another player who risks the cut. The Juventus defender didn’t seem at ease in a three-man defence in Germany. According to Corriere dello Sport, Spalletti would not have started him again if he had a chance.

Furthermore, Spalletti mentioned Alessandro Bastoni, Riccardo Calafiori, Alessandro Buongiorno and Giovanni Di Lorenzo as “excellent defenders” but didn’t name the Juventus centre-back in his post-match press conference.

According to the report, Daniel Maldini is not at risk, as the Atalanta striker was the only one who didn’t fear keeping the ball despite Germany’s high press in the first half on Sunday.