Liverpool 18-year-old Leoni called up by Italy for World Cup qualifiers

ROME (AP) — The 18-year-old Liverpool center back Giovanni Leoni was one of three players given their first national team call-up by new Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso on Friday.

Also named to the Azzurri squad for the first time were Inter Milan forward Francesco Pio Esposito and Bologna midfielder Giovanni Fabbian.

It’s the first time Gattuso has named his squad since taking over for the fired Luciano Spalletti in June.

Facing the prospect of failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, Italy has no room for errors in qualifiers against Estonia in Bergamo next Friday and against Israel in Hungary three days later.

Italy has three points from two matches. Norway, which has played four matches, leads Group I with 12 points, and Israel is next with six points from three matches.

Leoni transferred from Parma to Liverpool this month but has not played for the Premier League champion yet.

Atalanta forward Gianlunca Scamacca has returned to the squad after a series of injuries, as has Roma center back Gianluca Mancini, who had been excluded by Spalletti.

Forward Mateo Retegui was included despite his recent move to Saudi Arabia, as was Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali despite a shoulder issue.

Italy:

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham).

Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool), Gianluca Mancini (Roma).

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Nicolò Rovella (Lazio), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle).

Forwards: Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Daniel Maldini (Atalanta), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Atletico Madrid), Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio).

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer