Vincenzo Montella has named just one Serie A player in the Turkiye squad to face Italy in the Nations League, Zeki Celik of Juventus, as Hakan Calhanoglu and Kenan Yildiz are injured.
Turkiye are in Nations League Group A along with Italy, France and Belgium, trying to make up for the bitter disappointment of their showing at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Montella is set to host Roberto Mancini’s Italy at the Ataturk Spor Kompleski in Bursa on September 28, then visit the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna on October 5.
During this break for international duty, they will also welcome France on September 25 and visit Belgium on October 2.
Choices were rather limited by injury problems, as both Juventus talent Kenan Yildiz and Inter midfielder Calhanoglu are out of action.
It means the only Serie A representative in the squad is Juve defender Zeki Celik.
Turkiye national team squad
Goalkeepers: Altay Bayindir (Real Club Celta), Muhammed Sengezer (Istanbul Basaksehir), Okan Kocuk (Samsunspor), Ugurcan Cakir (Galatasaray)
Defenders: Abdulkerim Bardakci (Galatasaray), Adil Dermirbag (Konyaspor), Emirhan Topcu (Besiktas), Eren Elmali (Galatasaray), Ferdi Kadoglu (Brighton), Merih Demiral (Al-Ahli), Ozan Kabak (Hoffenheim), Samet Akaydin (Trabzonspor), Zeki Celik (Juventus)
Midfielders: Bartug Elmaz (Fenerbahce), Demir Ege Tiknaz (SC Braga), Ismail Yuksek (Fenerbahce), Melih Kabasakal (Trabzonspor), Orkun Kokcu (Besiktas), Salih Ozcan (Besiktas)
Forwards: Aral Simsir (Trabzonspor), Arda Guler (Real Madrid), Baris Alper Yilmaz (Galatasaray), Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt), Deniz Gul (Galatasaray), Ilhan Fakili (Besiktas), Irfan Can Kahveci (Fenerbahce), Kerem Akturkoglu (Fenerbahce), Oguz Aydin (Fenerbahce), Yunus Akgun (Galatasaray)
