Roberto Mancini's Return: Italy's Oversized Squad for Nations League

Roberto Mancini is back in charge of the Azzurri, and he is not easing himself in.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the returning Italy head coach is preparing to name an oversized squad of up to 35 players for the upcoming international window, a clear sign of how brutal the schedule will be in his second spell.

Eight years on from his first appointment in May 2018, Mancini steps back into the role with four Nations League games crammed into just 11 days. It is a sprint, not a stroll.

A brutal schedule, a swollen squad

Italy open against Belgium in Rome on 25 September, then head straight into a demanding run: away to Turkey, then France, before returning home to host Turkey again in Bologna. With that kind of churn, a normal-sized squad simply will not survive intact.

So Mancini is casting the net wide.

Uncapped talents Romano, Zoma and Samuel Inacio are among the most eye-catching potential inclusions. Doumbia and Ahanor are also in the frame, while Bologna goalkeeper Pessina could be rewarded with a call alongside established names Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Carnesecchi and Guglielmo Vicario.

The logic is clear: volume, variety, and options in every line.

New faces on the fringes

Midfield is where the experiment begins.

Romano’s recent form has forced his way into the conversation, and with Italy short of convincing options in central areas, his timing could hardly be better. Mancini needs legs, ideas, and someone willing to grab a shirt in a congested month. Romano has given him a reason to look.

Up front, the search is for width and unpredictability. German-based forward Zoma is being lined up as a possible solution, a different profile to stretch defences and offer something beyond the usual patterns.

Samuel Inacio, Doumbia and Ahanor sit in that same bracket of curiosity picks: players who might not yet be ready to carry Italy, but who could change a game in a tight window of minutes.

Euro 2020 spine still intact

For all the new names, this is not a revolution. Not yet.

The core from Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph remains at the heart of Mancini’s thinking. Nicolò Barella, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Bryan Cristante and Alessandro Bastoni are all expected to feature prominently, anchoring a squad that blends memory with experimentation.

Federico Bernardeschi, a hero of that Euros run, is under consideration for a surprise return, as is midfielder Rolando Mandragora. Both know what it means to navigate a tournament-like rhythm and could add experience in a dressing room that will be swollen with fresh faces.

The message is unmistakable: Italy will evolve around a proven backbone, not discard it.

Injury blows and a missing striker

Mancini’s options are not limitless.

Injuries have stripped away several key pieces: Federico Chiesa, Nicolò Zaniolo, Manuel Locatelli and Alessandro Buongiorno are all ruled out. Each absence removes a specific weapon – Chiesa’s direct running, Zaniolo’s power, Locatelli’s control, Buongiorno’s defensive authority.

Mateo Retegui, meanwhile, is still on holiday in Argentina. He remains a possible late addition if the situation demands it, but for now Italy plan without the forward who has often been the focal point in recent squads.

The new coach must juggle creativity and pragmatism with important pillars missing.

Protecting the Under-21s

One thing Mancini will not do is strip the Under-21s bare.

To avoid weakening Italy’s youth setup, he has parked the idea of a full-scale overhaul for now. Cher Ndour, Niccolo Pisilli and Luca Koleosho – three of the country’s brightest young prospects – will stay with Bernardo Baldini’s Under-21 squad as they chase crucial European qualification points.

It is a calculated compromise: refresh the senior side, but not at the expense of a generation still fighting through their own decisive campaign.

Stakes beyond the group

Rotation will be non-negotiable across those four Nations League fixtures. With so many games in so few days, Italy will need almost every one of those 35 names if they are to hit their target: a top-two finish in Group A and a place in the quarter-finals.

The consequences stretch further than immediate results.

These matches will feed directly into seeding for the Euro 2028 qualification draw in Belfast. Perform well now, and the path to the next European Championship could open up. Stumble, and Mancini’s second era might begin with Italy walking a much tighter rope.

The squad list is not yet official, but the intent already is: this is a reset on fast-forward, under pressure, with the future of the Azzurri’s next cycle quietly being shaped in the space of 11 relentless days.