Italy head to Belgium for Sunday evening's Nations League game in Brussels without Davide Frattesi and Nicolò Cambiaghi. Frattesi has left the camp after a muscle strain and a return to Rome, while Cambiaghi will miss the match after an ankle knock.
Italy's injury losses before Brussels
The double setback matters because both players were part of Thursday's 3-1 win over France at San Siro. Cambiaghi had one assist for Francesco Pio Esposito in that game, and Frattesi scored the goal in Italy's comeback. Their exits leave Italy lighter in the same attacking areas that had helped them beat France.
Italy still go to Belgium with the group tight. The standings put Italy top of League A - Group A on 10 points from five matches, with Belgium third on 9. That keeps the Brussels fixture live, even if the squad news is not what Italy wanted two days before kick-off.
Belgium and the squad balance
Belgium also have their own management decisions to make around Roméo Lavia. Speaking to standard.co.uk, Mark van Bommel said: "Romeo came on as a substitute against Italy and played 85 minutes against France. He did a fantastic job. You can already assume that I won't be starting him."
Van Bommel also added: "Chelsea are being cautious with him, and so are we. We want to make optimal use of his qualities." Lavia has four Nations League appearances and 217 minutes this season, so Belgium are handling him carefully while Italy cope with two late absences.
Belgium vs Italy is still set for Sunday evening in Brussels, but the balance of the game has already shifted before the first whistle.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
