• Euro 2016

Balotelli again misses out on Italy squad

Mario Balotelli has scored just one goal for Liverpool since his £16 million move from AC Milan © Getty Images

Enlarge

On the day he was left out of Liverpool's starting XI against West Brom, Mario Balotelli was also omitted from the Italy squad for the second month running.

After being overlooked by new Italy coach Antonio Conte for a friendly with Netherlands and a Euro 2016 qualifier against Norway in September, Balotelli's name did not figure among the 26 that Conte revealed on Saturday evening as his choices for the upcoming ties against Azerbaijan and Malta.

Conte instead added just two new names to his selection from September which saw Sassuolo's Simone Zaza form a partnership with Borussia Dortmund's Ciro Immobile, in the injury-enforced absence of Giuseppe Rossi, who misses out again.

The new face in Conte's attack is Southampton striker Graziano Pelle, who has been in excellent form for the Saints this season and gives the Italy coach a different option with his height and aerial ability.

Former Southampton forward Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, now with Inter Milan, is also included again, as is Alberto Aquilani, previously of Liverpool.

Full Italy squad:

Goakeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Mattia Perin (Genoa), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain).

Defenders: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Angelo Ogbonna (Juventus), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter Milan), Daniele Rugani (Empoli).

Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Giacomo Bonaventura (AC Milan), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina), Andrea Poli (AC Milan), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain).

Forwards: Mattia Destro (Roma), Sebastian Giovinco (Juventus), Ciro Immobile (Borussia Dortmund), Pablo Daniel Osvaldo (Inter Milan), Graziano Pelle (Southampton), Simone Zaza (Sassuolo).

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd