Palestra returns to Italy squad as Chelsea chapter begins
The fullback has been called up by Mancini for Nations League clashes against France and Belgium following a muscular injury layoff. Two appearances so far with Chelsea, including one as a starter against Manchester United.
Marco Palestra is back in contention for the Italian national team. The fullback born in 2005 has been named in Roberto Mancini's 31-player squad for upcoming Nations League matches against France and Belgium, returning after missing the first four games of the new cycle due to a thigh injury sustained during the summer.
His move to Chelsea, completed last season through a swift market operation, has seen a measured start. Despite months spent as the focus of several European clubs' interests, the London transfer materialized without the protracted negotiations that characterized previous speculation. Palestra made his Blues debut on October 10 against Bournemouth and collected his first starting appearance in the subsequent match against Manchester United, where he lined up as a left fullback—a slightly different position from the one where he had impressed the previous season.
In the Italian shirt, the young winger has so far accumulated two appearances. Gattuso deployed him during March's World Cup playoffs, bringing him on as a substitute against Northern Ireland in Bergamo and starting him in the away fixture in Zenica. Under Mancini, Palestra is already regarded as an established element of the project, despite his recent past placing him far from the international spotlight. Monday's squad gathering with the national team will mark his third appointment with the Azzurri.