Atalanta's Gianluca Scamacca kicks the ball midair during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Pisa at Gewiss stadium in Bergamo, Italy. AP
Scamacca was sent home from the Azzurri training camp on Thursday with a knee issue.
Facing the prospect of failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, Italy has no room for errors when it hosts Estonia in Bergamo on Friday and plays Israel in Hungary on Monday.
Italy has three points from two matches. Norway, which has played four matches, leads Group I with 12 points, and Israel is next with six points from three matches.
Without Scamacca, Mateo Retegui and Moise Kean will be expected to lead Italy’s attack.
Retegui, who led Serie A with 25 goals for Atalanta last season, recently joined the Saudi Pro League. Kean, who was second in the Italian league with 19 goals last season, recently had his salary increased by Fiorentina.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: