However, the head coach has been forced to say goodbye to Davide Calabria. The AC Milan defender has had to withdraw due to a slower-than-expected recovery from an injury to his left ankle which he picked up playing for his club. In the morning, midfielder Marco Benassi also left the training camp as he had been called up by Azzurri head coach Gian Piero Ventura for the senior side's forthcoming match against Macedonia on Sunday. In the afternoon, Pescara defender Davide Vitturini trained for the first time with his new team mates following his first call-up at U-21 level.
The Azzurrini will have a double training session tomorrow followed by a further session on Sunday morning before the squad leave for Lithuania later that day.
Final fixtures in Group 2
7th October: Republic of Ireland vs. Serbia
7th October: Lithuania vs. Slovenia
11th October: Lithuania vs. ITALY
11th October: Serbia vs. Slovenia
Group 2 table: ITALY 23 points, Serbia 17, Slovenia 15, Republic of Ireland 12, Lithuania 6, Andorra 3.
Squad list
Goalkeepers: Alessio Cragno (Benevento), Pierluigi Gollini (Aston Villa), Alex Meret (Spal);
Defenders: Antonio Barreca (Torino), Davide Biraschi (Genoa), Mattia Caldara (Atalanta), Andrea Conti (Atalanta), Alex Ferrari (Bologna), Nicola Murru (Cagliari), Michele Somma (Brescia), Davide Vitturini (Pescara);
Midfielders: Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Roberto Gagliardini (Atalanta), Alberto Grassi (Atalanta), Luca Mazzitelli (Sassuolo), Valerio Verre (Pescara);
Forwards: Alberto Cerri (Spal), Federico Di Francesco (Bologna), Luca Garritano (Cesena), Leonardo Morosini (Brescia), Andrea Petagna (Atalanta), Federico Ricci (Sassuolo), Valerio Lorenzo Rosseti (Lugano).
Staff – Head of Delegation: Giancarlo Antognoni; Accompanying Director: Vincenzo Marinelli; Head Coach: Luigi Di Biagio; Assistant Coach: Carmine Nunziata; Secretary: Emiliano Cozzi; Goalkeeping Coach: Antonio Chimenti; Fitness Coach: Vito Azzone; Team Doctors: Angelo De Carli and Luca Gatteschi; Physiotherapists: Guido Mauro Ferrini and Maurizio Fagorzi; Kitmen: Claudio Gagliardi and Andrea Russo.
Italy U-21s’ schedule
Friday 7th October
16:30 – training (closed)
Saturday 8th October
10:00 – training (closed)
16:30 – training (closed)
Sunday 9th October
09:00 – training (closed)
12:50 – departure on chartered flight from Rome to Kaunas
17:00 l.t. – arrival in Kaunas and transfer to hotel.
Monday 10th October
14:00 – meeting with press (coach)
18:00 – training at the “Darius & Girenas Stadium” – Kaunas (first 15′ open to press)
Tuesday 11th October
18:00 l.t. LITHUANIA vs. ITALY “Darius & Girenas Stadium” – Kaunas
Meeting with press at full-time
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