Nicolò Zaniolo has left Italy's camp for personal reasons, and Italy confirmed the withdrawal after he cut short the stay in Coverciano on Tuesday morning. He said, "Leaving Coverciano wasn’t easy, but I took this decision strictly for personal reasons." The move ends another brief return to the national-team set-up before Roberto Mancini's side face France and Belgium.
Zaniolo's latest setback
The exit is the latest interruption to Zaniolo's Italy comeback. Nicolò Zaniolo had been called up after recovering from injury and after his recent return to goals in Serie A, but the camp did not last long enough to turn that into a sustained run with the national team.
His club season has been stop-start too. Zaniolo has made just 6 Serie A appearances this season for Udinese, with 1 goal and a 6.54 rating, which suggests a player still trying to settle after the injury layoff.
Mancini's squad problem
Mancini was already working with a thin margin before the withdrawal. Italy are second in League A Group A with 7 points from 4 matches, so the double-header against France and Belgium matters in competitive terms, not as dead time on the calendar.
France arrive in stronger recent form, with a WDLW run that includes a 4-1 win over Belgium. Whether Mancini has already settled on a replacement is unclear, with reports split on that point, and Zaniolo's departure leaves one fewer versatile attacking option for the two matches on 12 November and 15 November.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
