As the Italian national team begin their final preparation for the 2016 UEFA European Championship, there are major worries about an important part of the team.
Italy's midfield is in shambles. Coach Antonio Conte is heading into the Euros with severe injury problems in his team's power plant.
Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio, a midfield staple for both club and country, tore his ACL early in the Bianconeri's 4-0 win over Palermo on April 17. Intimately familiar with Conte and his systems from their time together at Juve and excellent as both a box-to-box midfielder or a deep-lying regista, his loss was a major blow to Italy's efforts in France.