Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella is set to undergo a series of medical evaluations in the next few hours as the Italian national team assesses his fitness ahead of the upcoming European Championship.
Barella, 27, has been sidelined from training with the Azzurri since Monday due to a muscle issue, which also caused him to miss the recent friendly match against Turkey. Consequently, he will not participate in the final pre-tournament friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Italy’s head coach, Luciano Spalletti, and his staff are concerned about Barella’s condition but intend to include him in the squad traveling to Germany for the European Championship. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina acknowledged the midfielder’s worrying condition ahead of the crucial tests.
Today’s edition of Corriere dello Sport reports that Barella will undergo medical examinations at Coverciano to determine the extent of his muscle complaint. The tests aim to identify whether it is merely a quadriceps strain or a more serious injury.
Spalletti hopes to have Barella ready for Italy’s opening match against Albania on June 15th, though he may need to wait until the second game against Spain on June 20th to deploy the midfielder.
