The Albany Gazette - Spinazzola makes Italy return for 'Finalissima' and Nations League

Roma full-back Spinazzola was one of the stars of Italy's charge to Euro 2020 glory but ruptured his Achilles tendon during his side's 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium.

The injury left the 29-year-old out for almost the entire season, only returning to action for Roma earlier this month, and will join the squad after the Conference League final on Wednesday.

He features in the squad alongside Giorgio Chiellini who will play his final game for the national team when they face Copa America winners Argentina at Wembley on June 1.

Chiellini, 37, announced in April that he would be retiring from international football this summer after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup after being dumped out in the play-offs by North Macedonia.

Three days after captain Chiellini waves goodbye Italy will then begin their Nations League campaign with the visit of Germany to Bologna, before they host Hungary in Cesena on June 7.

Italy then take on beaten Euro finalists England in Wolverhampton on June 11 and travel to Moenchengladbach to play Germany three days later.

Coach Mancini has given Sassuolo's promising midfielder Davide Frattesi and Empoli attacker Andrea Pinamonti their first senior call-ups for the run of fixtures.

He selected every player who from the Euro-winning squad apart from the injured Federico Chiesa, Gaetano Castrovilli, Rafael Toloi and Ciro Immobile.

Italy squad for the 'Finalissima' and Nations League matches:

Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Genoa)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Davide Calabria (AC Milan), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter Milan), Emerson Palmieri (Lyon/FRA), Alessandro Florenzi (AC Milan), Manuel Lazzari (Lazio), Luiz Felipe (Lazio), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma)

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Davide Frattesi (Sassuolo), Jorginho (Chelsea/ENG), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Matteo Pessina (Atalanta), Sandro Tonali (AC Milan), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA)

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Gianluca Caprari (Verona), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Moise Kean (Juventus), Andrea Pinamonti (Empoli), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo), Gianluca Scamacca (Sassuolo), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio), Nicolo Zaniolo (Roma)

(K.Müller--BBZ)