Andrea Cambiaso reported for international duty with the Italy national team despite carrying an injury, which ultimately led to him missing their match against Germany at the San Siro last night. Cambiaso is highly regarded by Italy manager Luciano Spalletti, which explains why the defender was named in the squad even with fitness concerns. Spalletti is now hopeful that Cambiaso will be fit in time for the second leg of the Nations League quarterfinals, where Italy will need to recover from a 2-1 loss to Germany.
The defeat means that Italy will have to overturn the result when they travel to Dortmund for the return fixture on Sunday if they are to reach the semi-final of the competition. This task will be far from easy, as Italy will need their best players available for the crucial match. Cambiaso is certainly one of those key players, and Spalletti has discussed the defender’s fitness, expressing optimism for his recovery. Speaking via Tuttomercatoweb, Spalletti said: “In the last few days he has shown continuous and important progress, if he continues on this path in Dortmund, he will certainly be able to take to the field to give his contribution.”
While Italy’s focus is on the upcoming match, Juventus, Cambiaso’s club, will also be closely monitoring his situation. The Bianconeri need Cambiaso fit for the remaining games of the season. Given the club’s ambitions, they will be hoping that he is not pushed to play for the national team unless he is fully fit. Juventus’ priorities lie with the domestic campaign, and Cambiaso’s presence will be vital as they aim to secure the best possible results in the remaining fixtures.
As Italy heads into the second leg with everything to play for, Cambiaso’s fitness will be critical not only for the Azzurri but also for Juventus’ future aspirations in the coming months.
