Overview

• Italy visit Estonia on October 11 and host Israel in Udine on October 14, though UEFA’s consideration of suspending Israel remains a developing factor for scheduling.
• The Azzurri sit second in their group, six points behind Norway with a game in hand, with only group winners earning direct World Cup spots and runners-up facing playoffs.
• Gattuso has recently invited several rookies without guaranteeing debuts, and the newcomers face competition from established options such as Mattia Zaccagni, Giacomo Raspadori, Bryan Cristante and Manuel Locatelli.
• Giovanni Leoni, a September call-up, suffered a cruciate ligament injury in his Liverpool debut and is expected to be sidelined for about a year, while Francesco Pio Esposito was the only newcomer to debut last month.
• Bryan Cristante and Matteo Gabbia return to the squad, with Mateo Retegui and Moise Kean expected to lead the attack.