Roberto Mancini thinks the inaugural UEFA Nations League will be a good way for Italy to introduce their rising young stars into the first team.
The Azzurri face Poland on Friday in their first competitive match since last November, when their 0-0 draw with Sweden in the second leg of their World Cup play-off saw them miss out on a place in Russia.
There are three uncapped players – Cagliari's Nicolo Barella, Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo and Fiorentina's Marco Benassi – in the match-day squad for Friday’s game with Poland, while others included in the initial squad could feature for the first time against Portugal three days later.