Marchisio, Zaza and Insigne return to Italy squad

Claudio Marchisio has returned to the Italy squad after missing Euro 2016 with a knee injury, while Simone Zaza and Lorenzo Insigne are also back in the fold for matches against Liechtenstein and Germany.

Juventus midfielder Marchisio was injured in a Serie A game against Palermo in April, only returning to full fitness in recent weeks.

And, although the 30-year-old has started just two games this season, he has done enough to convince head coach Giampiero Ventura ahead of the national team’s next two fixtures, the first of which is a World Cup qualifier.

Zaza, who joined West Ham United on loan from Juve in August, had not been called up since missing a vital penalty in Italy’s quarter-final shootout defeat to Germany in the European Championship, but he and Napoli’s Insigne have both earned call-ups.

Uncapped pair Davide Zappacosta and Leonardo Pavoletti are also back in the squad, along with Daniele Rugani and Luca Antonelli, while Lazio’s Danilo Cataldi and Sassuolo’s Matteo Politano are called up for the first time.

Italy squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan), Mattia Perin (Genoa)

Defenders: Luca Antonelli (AC Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Manchester United), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), 
Andrea Romagnoli (AC Milan), Daniele Rugani (Juventus), Davide Zappacosta (Torino)

Midfielders: Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Giacomo Bonaventura (AC Milan), Antonio Candreva (Inter), Danilo Cataldi (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Eder (Inter), Manolo Gabbiadini (Napoli), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Leonardo Pavoletti (Genoa), Matteo Politano (Sassuolo), Nicola Sansone (Villarreal), Simone Zaza (West Ham).