Euro 2024: Panic in Italy camp with star defender doubtful for Switzerland test

Italy could be without Alessandro Bastoni in their Euro 2024 round of 16 match against Switzerland in Berlin. 

Luciano Spalletti’s men were already without in-form Riccardo Calafiori due to suspension while Federico Dimarco is absent having failed to recover from the issue that forced him off in the Azzurri's final group-stage match. 

However, Baston has recently taken ill and is facing a race against time to face the in-form Switzerland. 

“We’ll look at Bastoni tomorrow morning, Dimarco is out, Bastoni did a portion of the training session today we thought he might be able to resolve it but he had a bit of a setback,” said Spalletti on Friday.  “He’s had a few degrees of fever, we need to see overnight how he responds.

“(Gianluca) Mancini will replace Calafiori because he’s got the right amount of experience. Better off playing a right-footed player on the right and a left-footed player on the left in circumstances such as these.”

The defending European champions are aiming to avoid an early exit in the defence of the title they won at Euro 2020. 

Spalletti’s men face an uphill task against a Swiss side without defeat in the calendar year and one loss since their World Cup beatdown by Portugal in December 2022. 

The winner of Saturday's match will face England or Slovakia in the quarter-finals.