Roberto Mancini insists tonight’s clash with Turkiye is ‘not a relegation play-off’ for the Nations League, and he needs rotation to see young players in action. ‘Italy can afford a few risks.’

It kicks off at the Ataturk Spor Kompleski Matli Stadyumu in Bursa at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST).

Both teams are bottom of Group A following home defeats, but as Italy lost 2-0 to Belgium and Turkiye fell 1-0 to France, the Azzurri are behind on goal difference.

“We know that we have not started well on this journey that will be long, or short, I don’t know,” Mancini told RAI Sport.

“However, it will certainly take some time to do it, seeing as we’ve only had two training sessions between the two games, and one of them was to remove fatigue. Having said that, I don’t feel time is an enemy right now.”

There was a great deal of criticism about the performance at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday.

“Despite everything, I saw a positive second half against Belgium. I am not the only one who said that, as Charles De Ketelaere admitted as much when he explained Belgium struggled, so there were positives there too.”

Now this becomes a showdown with Turkiye to avoid potential Nations League relegation, although Mancini warns people not to press the panic button just yet.