Youth and fresh blood take centre stage in Italy's squad for their final two Nations League group fixtures. Head coach Roberto Mancini has selected 31 players ahead of the high-stakes encounters against France in Milan on 12 November and Belgium in Brussels on 15 November, with four uncapped prospects stepping up to the senior national side for the very first time.

The names commanding attention are Riccardo Cassano, a 2009-born midfielder from Como; Simone Lontani, born in 2008 and currently plying his trade at Parma; Alphadjo Cisse, a 2006-born forward at Milan; and Mattia Liberali, a 2007-born forward from Como. The burgeoning quartet have been drafted in to get their first taste of the Azzurri environment and showcase their abilities under the manager's watchful eye.

For Cassano and Lontani, however, their time with the senior group will only be temporary. The invitation serves primarily as an invaluable chance to train alongside seasoned internationals and undergo direct evaluation from Mancini. Over the coming days, both midfielders will depart the senior camp to link up with their respective youth teams.

Cassano will join the Under-18s as they finalise preparations for the World Cup in Qatar, which gets underway on 19 November. Lontani will instead join the Under-19s, who are set to contest the second qualifying phase for the European Championship from 11 to 17 November in the Marche region.

Italy: Mancini's full 31-man squad

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Guglielmo Vicario (Juventus).

Defenders: Honest Ahanor (Crystal Palace), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Daniele Ghilardi (Roma), Michael Kayode (Brentford), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Marco Palestra (Chelsea), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta).

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Riccardo Cassano (Como), Issa Doumbia (Sporting CP), Nicolò Fagioli (Fiorentina), Davide Frattesi (Lazio), Simone Lontani (Parma), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Samuele Ricci (Como), Alessandro Romano (Cagliari), Sandro Tonali (Tottenham).

Forwards: Nicolò Cambiaghi (Bologna), Alphadjo Cisse (Milan), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Sebastiano Esposito (Sassuolo), Luca Koleosho (Paris FC), Mattia Liberali (Como), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Antonio Vergara (Napoli), Nicolò Zaniolo (U