Conte calls up Eder and Vazquez

Antonio Conte has named three uncapped players in his Italy squad for their upcoming matches with Bulgaria and England.

With Andrea Pirlo injured, Conte has handed Empoli’s Mirko Valdifiori his chance with the national team, while there are also call-ups for Eder and Franco Vazquez.

Sampdoria striker and Brazilian-born Eder has scored eight goals in Serie A this season to help Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side challenge for a top-six place, while Vazquez – who was born in Argentina – has netted seven goals from midfield for Palermo.

Conte also welcomes back Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli for the first time since the World Cup, but there is no place for Roma’s Daniele De Rossi.

Italy face Bulgaria in Euro 2016 qualifying next Saturday, before welcoming England to Turin for a friendly. 

Squad in full:

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

Defenders: Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Emiliano Moretti (Torino), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter Milan)

Midfielders: Luca Antonelli (Milan), Andrea Bertolacci (Genoa), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Alessio Cerci (Milan), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina), Roberto Soriano (Sampdoria), Mirko Valdifiori (Empoli), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Martins Eder (Sampdoria), Manolo Gabbiadini (Napoli), Ciro Immobile (Borussia Dortmund), Graziano Pelle (Southampton), Franco  Vazquez (Palermo), Simone Zaza (Sassuolo)