Everton striker Moise Kean has been left out of the Italy squad.
Italy boss Roberto Mancini has been quoted by Football Italia as saying that Everton striker Moise Kean has been left out of his squad as punishment.
Kean, 19, made his first Premier League start on Sunday, showing real promise in the 3-2 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Everton will now hope to get Kean his first goal and really get him firing, but the striker himself may have been left a little shocked by his international fate.
Italy will be taking on Armenia and Finland over the international break, but Mancini’s squad doesn’t include Everton talent Kean.
Ciro Immobile, Andrea Belotti and Kevin Lasagna are the strikers Mancini has gone with, and Kean is one of just two players in the Italy Under-21 squad with senior caps, alongside Roma playmaker Nicolo Zaniolo.
Mancini has now discussed his squad, and suggested that Zaniolo and Kean have been punished for turning up late to a team meeting during the Under-21 European Championships this summer.
Mancini says professionals should behave well, and that means turning up to meetings on time, and whilst he doesn’t like punishing the young duo, he hopes it will help them moving forward.
“I’m sure they’ll come in handy later on,” said Mancini. “I don’t like leaving them behind as punishment. They’re still young. We gave them a great opportunity and we hope this helps them going forward. They must learn to behave well. Professionals must always behave well,” he added.
Gazzetta Dello Sport’s Stefano Boldrini told BBC Sport last month that Mancini is a big fan of Kean’s move to Everton, carrying quotes praising the move as Everton are ‘ambitious’, and he’ll now hope that his Premier League experience with the Toffees will help remove any immaturity from his approach.
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