Italy calls up another son of immigrants

Matteo Palma, a German-born defender, receives his first Italy call-up for Nations League matches against France and Belgium after Gianluca Mancini's injury.

Gianluca Mancini has been ruled out of Roma's Serie A match against Sassuolo tonight due to muscular discomfort, forcing his withdrawal from Italy's upcoming Nations League fixtures against France and Belgium.

Roberto Mancini has called up 18-year-old Matteo Palma as his replacement. Born in Berlin and previously representing Germany at youth level, Palma has had his nationality switch to Italy validated by FIFA. The defender plays for Udinese, where he joined the youth academy in 2022 and made his senior debut in September 2024. He has featured in seven matches across all competitions this season and scored one goal.

Palma is one of five players making their Italy debut in the upcoming Nations League window, alongside Riccardo Cassano, Mattia Liberali, Alphadjo Cisse and Simone Lontani. Since his return to manage the Azzurri, Mancini has prioritized a new generation of young players, many with immigrant backgrounds, to revitalize a squad that has missed the last three World Cups. Italy, second in Nations League Group A, hosts France at San Siro on Thursday before visiting Belgium in Brussels on Sunday.