Vergara set for Italy bench against France as Mancini favours Esposito
Napoli's only player in the Italy squad could miss the game that may decide the Nations League group. The reason lies in how his season at Napoli has gone.
Vergara looks likely to start on the bench when Italy face France at the Meazza on the evening of Thursday 12 November. The game could decide first place in the Nations League group. On the right of the front three, Mancini appears to be leaning towards Esposito. The other option tempting the Italy coach is Liberali, a 2007-born Como player with few minutes and no experience, who could come on for the last half-hour. That leaves Vergara in the same limbo as Koleosho, somewhere between the bench and the stands.
The problem is his club form. In the league he has seven appearances, 271 minutes, one goal and one assist. In the Champions League he has two appearances for 110 minutes, and he missed four games with a calf injury. With Italy things had gone well: 28 minutes against France on 2 October, then a start three days later against Turkey, where he played with quality and substance.
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Napoli have to answer for some of this too. In the 1-1 with Lazio on Sunday 8 November, Allegri used him as a wing-back, far from goal, in a side with only three recognised defenders. If Vergara loses his Italy place because of how he plays at Napoli, part of the blame lies with whoever plays him out of position in a team sitting tenth on 15 points.
He is the only Napoli player Mancini has called up. If he stays on the bench against France, Napoli will have nobody on the pitch for Italy.
Source: Il Napolista
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