ROME (AP) — The 18-year-old Liverpool center back Giovanni Leoni was one of three players given their first national team call-up by new Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso on Friday.
Also named to the Azzurri squad for the first time were Inter Milan forward Francesco Pio Esposito and Bologna midfielder Giovanni Fabbian.
It’s the first time Gattuso has named his squad since taking over for the fired Luciano Spalletti in June.
Facing the prospect of failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, Italy has no room for errors in qualifiers against Estonia in Bergamo next Friday and against Israel in Hungary three days later.
Italy has three points from two matches. Norway, which has played four matches, leads Group I with 12 points, and Israel is next with six points from three matches.