Roberto Mancini is confident he will be able to count upon Inter’s Italian trio of Nicolo Barella, Alessandro Bastoni and Stefano Sensi for the Azzurri’s upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Barella, Bastoni and Sensi were named in Mancini’s 38-man squad last week for the matches against Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania, but their presence was subject to clearance from Milan’s local health authority (ATS) following Inter’s COVID-19 outbreak.
Inter’s non-Italian players have now been released to join their national teams and it seems likely the above-mentioned three will get the green light as well.
Speaking at Italy’s training ground at Coverciano today, former Inter boss Mancini said (as quoted by Italpress, via FcInter1908.it): “We’re waiting to see what will happen with Inter’s players, but it seems to me that they’re free to come because I heard the other internationals had left the club.
“We’re waiting to see what will happen with our guys and if there’s the possibility to have them, but we’re fairly confident.”
Inter’s overseas internationals – Romelu Lukaku, Christian Eriksen, Marcelo Brozovic, Ivan Perisic, Milan Skriniar, Achraf Hakimi and Andrei Radu – were allowed to leave Italy after the club reported no further cases of COVID-19 among players, following yesterday’s latest tests.
Four players – Danilo D’Ambrosio, Samir Handanovic, Stefan de Vrij and Matias Vecino – remain positive however, and until everyone is negative again Inter will remain under the jurisdiction of Milan’s ATS.
FcInter1908.it reported earlier that the two parties are in constant discussion and are said to be making every decision together in a collaborative manner.
Italy host Northern Ireland in their opening FIFA World Cup qualifier on Thursday, before Mancini’s side travel to Bulgaria on Sunday and Lithuania on March 31.