Mancini launches rapid innovation ahead of duel with Belgium

In the Stadio Olimpico, where the evening sky hovers over the old arena, the Red Devils are ready to meet a completely revamped Italian squad on Friday evening. Roberto Mancini leads the Squadra Azzurra in a new Nations League campaign and has immediately embarked on a radical new chapter.

Mass call-up and first selections

Mancini originally called up 34 players, of which nine had never previously been in the A‑team. Massimo Pessina, Daniele Ghilardi, Michael Kayode, Eddy Kouadio, Issa Doumbia, Alessandro Romano, Sebastiano Esposito, Antonio Vergara and Mohamed Alì Zoma received their first call-up, according to the FIGC.

For the match the squad already had to be adjusted: Bryan Cristante dropped out with physical problems and was replaced by Samuele Ricci; a day later Federico Dimarco left the camp due to an injury, allowing Matteo Ruggeri of Aston Villa to take his place.

Starting lineup and tactical choices

La reports that the 20‑year‑old Alessandro Romano can immediately debut as a midfielder, flanked by Nicolò Barella and Sandro Tonali. In defense are Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Gianluca Mancini, Diego Coppola (Paris FC) and Riccardo Calafiori; Gianluigi Donnarumma remains in goal.

Up front Francesco Pio Esposito is seen as the main candidate for the centre‑forward, with Daniel Maldini on the left and Nicolò Cambiaghi on the right. Nicolò Zaniolo remains an option, although he has had few minutes this season due to an injury.

The possible starting eleven, not yet confirmed, reads: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Coppola, Calafiori; Barella, Romano, Tonali; Cambiaghi, Pio Esposito, Maldini.

For Belgium this means an opponent who is inexperienced and hard to assess, but still strong with the familiar foundations of the Red Devils.

The match kicks off at 20:45 and promises to be an exciting confrontation, in which Mancini clearly shows that he wants to use his comeback to push a new generation forward at speed.