Spalletti calls up Juventus defender to replace injured Gabbia

Italy’s national team is facing a defensive crisis ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Moldova.

Several key defenders Alessandro Buongiorno, Riccardo Calafiori, Francesco Acerbi (who declined the call-up), and now Matteo Gabbia—are unavailable.

AC Milan defender Matteo Gabbia suffered a calf injury during the final training session and has officially left the national camp at Coverciano. In response, head coach Luciano Spalletti has called up Juventus center-back Daniele Rugani as his replacement.

Rugani, back at Juventus after a loan spell at Ajax, has been training under new coach Igor Tudor. He will report to Coverciano today and is immediately available for selection.

With Rugani’s inclusion, Juventus now has three players in the Italy squad: Rugani, Andrea Cambiaso, and Federico Gatti though Gatti is still recovering from a March injury.

Midfielder Manuel Locatelli has returned to Turin due to an ankle issue and will miss both qualifiers.

Given the injury woes, Rugani may get a chance to feature in the starting lineup. He will compete with Diego Coppola and Luca Ranieri for a spot in defense, alongside Alessandro Bastoni and Giovanni Di Lorenzo.