Roberto Mancini said on Thursday that he is not letting Italy’s injury crisis worry him before the Nations League visit of England, a team he says are one of the world’s best.
Mancini lost midfielders Marco Verratti, Sandro Tonali, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Matteo Politano in the lead up to Friday’s League A, Group 3 match at the San Siro, one of the European champions’ last until next year, because they failed to qualify for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
Tonali to miss two matches
He told reporters on Thursday that AC Milan’s Tonali would miss the England match and Monday’s trip to Budapest to face group leaders Hungary as he “wasn’t in great condition” when he arrived at the Azzurri’s Coverciano training centre. “I’m not worried. It’s a match that we’re taking on in a delicate period for us as we’re missing a lot of players,” said Mancini.
England risk being relegated to League B. Gareth Southgate’s team sit bottom of the group without a win.
Also Read: England and Italy share the spoils in goalless UEFA Nations League draw
German camp hit by COVID
Meanwhile, Germany’s World Cup preparations have been disrupted by the Coronavirus, forcing coach Hansi Flick to improvise for tournament warm-up games against Hungary and England.
Captain Manuel Neuer and his Bayern Munich teammate Leon Goretzka were forced to leave the team’s hotel Wednesday after positive tests for COVID-19, while Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt left with flu-like symptoms after testing negative for the virus.
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