Report: Chiesa and Verratti on Italy preliminary squad list for World Cup play-offs

Reports on Thursday claim that Federico Chiesa and Marco Verratti are in a chance of featuring for the Italy national team during the World Cup play-off campaign at the end of the month, and that they have both been included on Gennaro Gattuso’s preliminary squad list. 

Italy are preparing to take on Northern Ireland in the World Cup play-off semi-final in Bergamo on October 26 and the winner of that tie will go on to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home on March 31: A one-legged decider for a spot at the final tournament. 

If they fail to beat Northern Ireland and either Wales or Bosnia, it will be the third consecutive World Cup that Italy have missed out on. The Azzurri last qualified for the World Cup group stages in 2014. 

Verratti and Chiesa on Italy preliminary squad list

According to reports from Tuttosport, Gattuso is highly likely to call up Verratti for the first time in almost three years. 

The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, currently with Al-Duhail in Qatar, last featured for the national team in the Nations League third place play-off against the Netherlands in June 2023. 

Thursday’s report claims that Chiesa, who has not featured for Italy since the miserable Euro 2024 campaign, is also part of Gattuso’s preliminary squad. He was one of the players that Gattuso spoke to over a dinner in London over the last few weeks according to Thursday’s report. 

The Chiesa case is an exceptional one, and according to Tuttosport, a final decision on his call-up will be made around 10 days before the squad meets up. 

Among the fringe players in with a chance of being called up for the World Cup play-offs at the end of the month are Marco Palestra and Federico Gatti. Nicolo Zaniolo is not expected to be part of the squad.