Roberto Mancini confirms big Italy changes in their Nations League, while standing up for Turkiye coach Vincenzo Montella. ‘The biggest mistake would be thinking it’ll be easy.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna on Monday at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

The new international calendar means this will be the fourth game in the space of two weeks, a longer spell of time together, but also one that gives precious little time for recovery.

Moise Kean has been ruled out and sent back to Como due to injury, so that is at least one change from the starting XI that drew 1-1 in France on Friday evening , but there will be many more.

“We will make some changes,” confirmed Mancini in his press conference.

“Clearly, it has only been two days since the last game, so something has to be different to the matches with Turkiye and France. In my mind, some will be left out, while for others we’ll evaluate to the last minute.”

The same midfield trio of Sandro Tonali, Nicolò Fagioli and Davide Frattesi started both the 4-1 victory in Bursa and the 1-1 draw in Paris, along with strikers Sebastiano and Pio Esposito.

These are some of the candidates to be benched tomorrow, along with Brentford right-back Michael Kayode, with Antonio Vergara and Alessandro Romano likely to step in.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Mancini: ‘Italy make changes, biggest mistake against Turkiye’" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Gironi & Calendario metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Mondiali 2026 Italia Editorial Desk. Readers following "Mancini: ‘Italy make changes, biggest mistake against Turkiye’" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.