ROME, Oct 21 : Italy have recalled eight players and handed Mattia Midena a first call-up in a 34-man squad for next month’s Nations Championship, but will be without 12 others through injury.
• Loose forward Lorenzo Cannone, who was injured in the test against New Zealand in Wellington in July, returns to the squad along with Simone Ferrari and Manuel Zuliani while there are recalls for backs Mirko Belloni, Matt Gallagher, Damiano Mazza, Giovanni Montemauri and Federico Mori as well as English-based lock Enoch Opoku Gyamfi.
• Mazza and Montemauri are uncapped as are Samuele Locatelli and Mattia Midena, who gets his first call-up.
• Italy, who will be at home to South Africa, Argentina and Fiji next month before the finals weekend at Twickenham, will be without Tommaso Menoncello, who hurt his shoulder last weekend playing for French club Stade Toulouse in the European Champions Cup against Exeter Chiefs, and powerful loose forward Sebastian Negri.
Backs: Tommaso Allan, Mirko Belloni (both Zebre Parma), Juan Ignacio Brex (Toulon), Ange Capuozzo (Stade Toulousain), Alessandro Fusco (Zebre Parma), Matt Gallagher, Alessandro Garbisi (both Benetton Rugby), Paolo Garbisi (Perpignan), Monty Ioane (Lyon), Louis Lynagh, Leonardo Marin (both Benetton Rugby), Damiano Mazza, Giovanni Montemauri (both Zebre Parma), Federico Mori (Bayonne), Paolo Odogwu (Benetton Rugby), Stephen Varney (Exeter Chiefs)
Forwards: Niccolo Cannone, Lorenzo Cannone (both Benetton Rugby), Tommaso Di Bartolomeo (Zebre Parma), Simone Ferrari (Benetton Rugby), Danilo Fischetti (Northampton Saints), Muhamed Hasa (Zebre Parma), Michele Lamaro (Benetton Rugby), Samuele Locatelli (Zebre Parma), Gianmarco Lucchesi (Toulon), Mattia Midena (Benetton Rugby), Giacomo Nicotera (Stade Francais), Enoch Opoku Gyamfi (Bath), Alessandro Ortombina (Zebre Parma), Marco Riccioni (Perpignan), Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby), Mirco Spagnolo (Benetton Rugby), Ross Vintcent (Exeter Chiefs), Manuel Zuliani (Benetton Rugby).
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)