Dimarco Out of Italy's Nations League Squad, Ruggeri Steps In
News
The short version
- Federico Dimarco withdrew from Italy's squad after failing to recover from a physical problem suffered with Inter.
- Aston Villa's Matteo Ruggeri was called up as his replacement.
- Italy play Belgium, Turkey, France and Turkey again in the Nations League between September 25 and October 5.
- Bryan Cristante also dropped out earlier and was replaced by Como's Samuel Ricci.
- This is Roberto Mancini's first camp since returning as Italy head coach.
Federico Dimarco will miss Italy's four-match Nations League window through injury, with Aston Villa's Matteo Ruggeri called up as cover.
Federico Dimarco has left Italy's national team camp after medical checks at Coverciano confirmed he has not overcome a physical problem he picked up while playing for Inter. The Italian Football Federation said the defender is unavailable for the upcoming matches and will depart the squad's training base shortly.
Aston Villa defender Matteo Ruggeri has been called up in his place, giving head coach Roberto Mancini additional cover on the left side for a demanding stretch of fixtures.
Italy, who gathered on Sunday evening, face Belgium on September 25, Turkey on September 28, France on October 2, and Turkey again on October 5 in the Nations League.
Dimarco is the second player to drop out of the group. Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante had already been ruled out with a physical problem and was replaced by Como's Samuel Ricci.
The camp is Mancini's first since he returned to the Italy job over the summer. When the squad was announced on Friday, he handed senior debuts in selection to nine players.
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Written by the Matchday Live desk from reporting by Yahoo Sports.
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