The Bologna native will be the winger-attacking midfielder who can help the team switch on the fly from a 3-5-2 to a 3-4-2-1 or 4-2-4. Fede is in the running for a potential World Cup spot, while Bernardeschi and Zaniolo, on the other hand…

While waiting for news on Bastoni, Mancini, and Scamacca, another piece of the Azzurri’s World Cup puzzle falls into place. Chiesa returns to England; his condition prevented him from continuing training camp with the Azzurri: Cambiaghi has been called up in his place. It’s a shame because it would have been a highly anticipated return after nearly two years, and the head coach was eager to see the former Juventus player—now with Liverpool—again. The Bologna native, set to arrive at Coverciano, was one of six candidates for the attacking midfielder role that Gattuso has in mind to switch up the tactical system on the fly, if necessary, shifting from a 3-5-2 to a 3-4-2-1 (with an attacking midfielder) or a 4-2-4 (with an attacking winger).

The names in the running were Vergara, Chiesa, Zaccagni, Cambiaghi, Maldini, and Orsolini. The first three have gradually dropped out of contention over the past month: first Vergara, then Zaccagni, and now Chiesa. The head coach chose Cambiaghi simply because Orsolini currently offers less technical reliability—in short, he’s not in top form—and because Maldini is more of a classic attacking midfielder who can also be adapted to play as a false 9, as Sarri is doing at Lazio, but he wouldn’t be able to stretch the play out wide. In any case, if the attacking midfielder role were to be filled, Raspadori would be the first choice, as he has already performed well in that role for the national team, even though the Atalanta player has just returned from injury and may not yet have the stamina for a full 90 minutes.

THE DOUBTS—  Some would have preferred to include Bernardeschi and Zaniolo, who are performing well in the league. Given that we’re not talking about starters—the only players with a guaranteed spot among those in question are Bastoni and Mancini—we mustn’t forget that Gattuso has built a squad comprising the same players who participated in those impromptu “training sessions” over lunch and dinner: a group from which he can select players based on technical, tactical, and even personal qualities. His squad. Berna is in great form and could even be in the running for a spot on the team if he keeps this up, especially if the Azzurri’s run extends beyond the playoffs. For Zaniolo, it’s a slightly different story: Gattuso doesn’t see him as a winger (as he once did) but as a second center forward—a position already heavily contested by Retegui, Kean, Esposito, and Scamacca. If the Atalanta player were to drop out, a spot might open up for Piccoli (due to his physical build) and Maldini (from a different perspective). In theory, Zaniolo would also be in the running, but the impression is that the issue isn’t purely technical and that the coach doesn’t want to upset the balance of the team—a balance that has been disrupted in previous cycles, even by the “old” Zaniolo, who, however, people in Udine swear has become a different man.