Who's leading the charge for tonight's clash against Atalanta?
Which Italy players will Gattuso be keeping an eye on in Inter vs. Atalanta? There is now less than a week to go before Gennaro Gattuso announced his Italy national team squad for the World Cup play-off campaign coming up at the end of March, and recent reports claim that the CT will be in San Siro to keep an eye on some of his players during Saturday’s Serie A match between Inter and Atalanta.
Here is a reminder of the players who will be of interest to Gattuso ahead of the crucial Northern Ireland clash on March 26. Gattuso drawing up final plans for Italy’s World Cup play-offs Italy are due to take on Northern Ireland in a one-legged World Cup play-off semi-final on March 26, and the winner of that tie will go on to face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina away from home in the play-off final on March 31: A one-off decider for a spot at the final tournament. Should Italy fail to win both matches, it will mean three consecutive World Cup absences for the joint-second-most successful nation in the tournament’s history.
The Azzurri have not featured at the World Cup group stages since 2014 and have not won a knock-out game at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2006 Gattuso is expected to announce his squad for the World Cup play-offs, which will be played during the March international break, on Friday. Before then, he will be in San Siro to keep an eye on some of his players during Saturday’s Serie A match between Inter and Atalanta according to reports from Il Giorno and various other outlets. Between the Inter and Atalanta squads, there are 14 senior players who have either represented Italy in the past, or are tipped to earn a call-up in the near future.
Cristian Chivu’s side contains five players who are practically guaranteed a spot in the side. They are Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella, Davide Frattesi and Pio Esposito. Bastoni is still nursing an impact injury he suffered against Milan last weekend, and might not start against Atalanta, but is still expected to be involved with the Italy national team squad.
MILAN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 16: Alessandro Bastoni of Italy warms up prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Norway at San Siro Stadium on November 16, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Senior Nerazzurri players in Matteo Darmian and Francesco Acerbi are highly unlikely to be involved in Gattuso’s next squad, though. Atalanta also have a decent crop of players hoping to be called up to the Italy squad next week.