Midfielders Thiago Motta (main pix) and Daniele De Rossi were on Tuesday given the all clear and included in Italy coach Antonio Conte’s 23-man squad for Euro 2016.
With midfield stalwarts Claudio Marchisio and Marco Verratti both injured, Conte had feared for the fitness of Paris Saint-Germain’s Motta and Roma’s De Rossi, both struggling with a calf and thigh injuries respectively.
“The choices are made, we reflected a great deal and picked the best at our disposal,” said Conte as the announcement was made live on television.
The pair have been given the all clear for the tournament which gets underway in France on June 10, but AC Milan midfielder Ricardo Montolivo has failed to recover from his calf problem and will miss out again, as at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, because of a fractured foot.
Conte’s squad contained few surprises with the defensive line of Serie A champions Juventus — goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and defenders Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, and Giorgio Chiellini.
Italy’s forward line, the Azzurri’s supposed weak point, includes Graziano Pelle, Eder, Antonio Candreva, Lorenzo Insigne and Ciro Immobile.
Italy host Finland in a pre-tournament friendly on June 6 in Verona. Italy take on Belgium on June 13, Sweden on June 17 and the Republic of Ireland on June 22 in Group E at the tournament in France.
23-man Italy squad for Euro 2016
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris SG/FRA)
Defenders: Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Manchester United/ENG), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham/ENG)
Midfielders: Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele de Rossi (Roma), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma); Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Thiago Motta (Paris SG/FRA), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Stefano Sturaro (Juventus)
Strikers: Eder (Inter Milan), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Graziano Pelle (Southampton/ENG), Simone Zaza (Juventus)
– Agence France-Presse
