Gennaro Gattuso said Federico Chiesa made himself unavailable for the latest Italy squad
Gennaro Gattuso said Federico Chiesa made himself unavailable for the latest Italy squad (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa has made himself unavailable for Italy's final two World Cup qualifiers this week, according to national team manager Gennaro Gattuso.
Italy, who failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, are scheduled to face Moldova on Thursday and then group leaders Norway on Sunday.
Gattuso confirmed he must respect Chiesa's decision to sit out the matches, though he did not disclose the reason for the player's withdrawal.
Chiesa last featured for Italy at Euro 2024 and has recorded two goals and three assists for Liverpool this season.
The qualifiers are critical for Italy, who are currently three points behind Group I leaders Norway, with only the top team securing automatic qualification.