Italy announce a 30-man provisional squad ahead of EURO 2016

Antonio Conte has named a 30-man provisional squad as the Azzurri begin the second stage of their preparations for this summer's European Championships.

This follows last week's 28-man pre-EURO 2016 training camp announcement. Ten players from that group have been cut, while twelve players from Juventus, Milan, PSG and Manchester United have been added to make up the provisional squad.

Sunderland's Fabio Borini is one of those players cut from the training squad, while perhaps surprisingly Serie A's highest scoring Italian this season, Genoa striker Leonardo Pavoletti was also left out. However, as he's uncapped at international level perhaps it explains why.

The only uncapped member of the 30-man squad is Juventus' young centre half Daniele Rugani. The 21 year old and former Serie B footballer of the year, broke into the Juve team this season and started 11 Serie A matches.

Big name absentees include the likes of Sebastian Giovinco and Andrea Pirlo, who now make a living across the Atlantic Ocean in the MLS. Both players were marginally involved in the qualifying campaign, but it seems Antonio Conte and the Italian FA may be making a statement about players playing their club football outside of Europe.

Claudio Marchisio and Marco Verratti have also been omitted due to injuries sustained during the season, and therefore Italy have lost two very important central midfield talents, meaning Conte's plans will undoubtedly need to change ahead of the tournament.

Additional midfield worries for Conte to consider surround the fitness of both Ricardo Montolivo and Thiago Motta. They've linked up with the squad after featuring for their respective clubs in domestic cup finals at the weekend, but both players will need to prove their fitness ahead of the final squad decision next week.

Lastly, the charismatic Mario Balotelli has failed to earn a place in Conte's squad as his international wilderness continues. Balotelli's two goals in his last two seasons at club level hasn't done enough to convince Conte that he deserves a re-call to the Italian squad, for whom he has not featured since the Azzurri's group stages exit from the 2014 World Cup.

The Azzurri train all week at their training camp in Coverciano before playing two warm-up friendlies, the first on 29^th May against Scotland in Malta and the second on 6^th June against Finland in Verona.  Conte will announce his final 23 man squad on 31^st May, between both these friendly matches.

Italy accompany Ireland in Group E along with Belgium and Sweden, and kick off their group campaign against Belgium on June 13^th, before playing Sweden four days later and finally Ireland on the 22^nd of June in Lille.

The provisional squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint Germain).

Defenders: Davide Astori (Fiorentina), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Manchester United), Mattia De Sciglio (Milan), Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (West Ham), Daniele Rugani (Juventus).

Midfielders: Marco Benassi (Torino), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Giacomo Bonaventura (Milan), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Jorge Luiz Jorginho (Napoli), Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint Germain), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Stefano Sturaro (Juventus), Davide Zappacosta (Torino).

Forwards: Citadin Martins Eder (Inter), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Graziano Pellè (Southampton), Simone Zaza (Juventus).