Mancini's Italy Squad: Maldini Returns, Palestra Omitted
Roberto Mancini’s first Italy squad back in charge was never going to be dull. It isn’t. Between recalls, a controversial inclusion and one high‑profile omission, the Azzurri list for the upcoming Nations League run reads like a statement.
Italy face a demanding block of four games in this international window: Belgium on September 25, Turkiye on September 28, France on October 2 and a second meeting with the Turks on October 5. The group then closes with France on November 12 and Belgium on November 15. Mancini has used it as a laboratory – and a courtroom.
Maldini in the spotlight
The headline is Daniel Maldini.
There were serious doubts he would be there at all after his recent car incident, which led to his licence being suspended when he tested narrowly over the alcohol limit. The story escalated when reports claimed he had also failed a drugs test. Those reports have since been confirmed as inaccurate, with all toxicology tests coming back negative.
Cagliari have stood firmly behind him and intend to start him in Serie A this weekend. Mancini has followed that lead. Maldini is in, and not quietly: his name instantly changes the temperature around this squad.
Palestra left at home
On the other side of the ledger sits Marco Palestra.
The Chelsea player had been tipped to miss out, and Mancini has not gone against that logic. Palestra has yet to make his competitive debut for the Premier League club after picking up an injury in pre-season, and that lack of rhythm has cost him. For this camp at least, the door is closed.
Old faces, new chapter
Mancini has called up nine new faces, but the surprises do not stop there. The returning names carry weight.
Nicolò Fagioli and Nicolò Zaniolo are back in the Azzurri fold for the first time since October 2024. Their international stories have never been straightforward.
Fagioli, now at Fiorentina, owns seven senior caps and has often been discussed as a midfielder built for Italy’s short-passing game. His absence had begun to feel longer than it actually was. This recall suggests Mancini still sees a role for his control and vision.
Zaniolo’s relationship with the national team has always been dramatic. Mancini famously handed him his first call-up before he had even played a single Serie A minute. Since then, 19 caps have followed, the latest in March 2024 in a friendly against Ecuador. His last competitive appearance dates back to November 2023 against Ukraine. Now, the door reopens, and with it the question of whether he can finally turn promise into consistency in an Italy shirt.
Mandragora’s five-year wait ends
The most striking comeback, though, belongs to Rolando Mandragora.
The new Torino midfielder returns to the squad for the first time since March 2021. That gap – over five years between call-ups – underlines how far he had drifted from the national conversation.
Mandragora’s only senior cap came in June 2018, a 3-1 friendly defeat to France. For many, that night looked like a footnote. Mancini has decided it might instead be the prologue. At 29, with a different club, a different role and a thicker skin, he gets another crack at the shirt.
A squad with edges
This is not a conservative list. It carries risk, personality and a manager willing to back his own judgement.
Maldini’s inclusion despite the off-field noise, Palestra’s exclusion as he fights for fitness and status at Chelsea, the returns of Fagioli, Zaniolo and Mandragora after long absences – together they sketch a coach ready to reset hierarchies.
The Nations League will show whether this bold mix can hold under pressure, or whether Mancini will be forced back towards safer choices once the serious games start to bite.
