Rugby-Italy missing 12 players for next month's Nations Championship

Italy have recalled eight players and ​handed Mattia Midena a first call-up ​in a 34-man squad for ‌next ​month’s Nations Championship, but will be without 12 others through injury. Backs: Tommaso Allan, Mirko Belloni (both Zebre Parma), Juan Ignacio Brex (Toulon), Ange Capuozzo (Stade Toulousain), ⁠Alessandro Fusco (Zebre Parma), Matt Gallagher, Alessandro Garbisi (both Benetton Rugby), Paolo Garbisi (Perpignan), Monty Ioane (Lyon), Louis Lynagh, Leonardo Marin (both ⁠Benetton ​Rugby), Damiano Mazza, Giovanni Montemauri (both Zebre Parma), Federico Mori (Bayonne), Paolo Odogwu (Benetton Rugby), Stephen Varney (Exeter Chiefs)

Forwards: Niccolo Cannone, Lorenzo Cannone (both Benetton Rugby), Tommaso Di Bartolomeo (Zebre Parma), Simone ⁠Ferrari (Benetton Rugby), Danilo Fischetti (Northampton Saints), Muhamed Hasa (Zebre Parma), Michele Lamaro (Benetton Rugby), Samuele Locatelli (Zebre Parma), Gianmarco ⁠Lucchesi (Toulon), Mattia Midena (Benetton ⁠Rugby), Giacomo Nicotera (Stade Francais), Enoch Opoku Gyamfi (Bath), Alessandro Ortombina (Zebre Parma), Marco Riccioni (Perpignan), Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby), Mirco Spagnolo (Benetton Rugby), Ross Vintcent (Exeter Chiefs), ‌Manuel Zuliani (Benetton ‌Rugby). (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; ​Editing by Pritha Sarkar)