A revitalised Mario Balotelli has not done enough to earn an Italy recall. The Nice striker was yesterday omitted from Giampiero Ventura’s selection for World Cup qualifiers against Spain, in Turin, on Thursday and Macedonia, in Skopje, today week.

Azzurri squad
Buffon (Juventus), Donnarumma (Milan), Perin (Genoa); Astori (Fiorentina), Barzagli (Juventus), Bonucci (Juventus), Chiellini (Juventus), Ogbonna (West Ham), Romagnoli (Milan), Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Bonaventura (Milan); Candreva (Inter), Criscito (Zenit SP), Darmian (Man. United), De Rossi (Roma), De Sciglio (Milan), Florenzi (Roma), Montolivo (Milan), Parolo (Lazio), Verratti (Paris SG); Belotti (Torino), Eder (Inter), Gabbiadini (Napoli), Immobile (Lazio), Pelle (Shandong Luneng), Sansone (Villarreal).