Injured Politano and Mancini out of Italy’s clash with Ukraine

Italy sits third in Group C, three points behind Ukraine -- which is second having played a game more -- with the pair facing off at the San Siro in Milan on Tuesday night.

Italy’s Matteo Politano controls the ball during the Euro 2024 group C qualifying match between North Macedonia and Italy at National Arena Todor Proeski in Skopje, North Macedonia, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. | Photo Credit: AP

Matteo Politano and Gianluca Mancini will miss Italy’s crucial Euro 2024 qualifying clash against Ukraine with injury, the country’s football federation said on Sunday.

In a statement, the FIGC said that Napoli forward Politano and Roma defender Mancini had respectively picked up calf and thigh knocks during Italy’s 1-1 draw with North Macedonia.

Coach Luciano Spalletti, who lost attacker Federico Chiesa and midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini to injury before Saturday’s draw in Skopje, has called up Bologna forward Riccardo Orsolini.

Italy sits third in Group C, three points behind Ukraine -- which is second having played a game more -- with the pair facing off at the San Siro in Milan on Tuesday night.

It is a key crucial fixture for each side’s hopes of claiming one of two automatic spots for next summer’s tournament in Germany, with leader England nine points ahead of the European champion

Spalletti took charge of Italy last month following the shock resignation of Roberto Mancini, who then took over Saudi Arabia’s national team.