Italy Should Test Stefano Sturaro in Friendly vs. Finland

Italy coach Antonio Conte has submitted his 23-man roster for the 2016 UEFA European Championship, and there is some consternation on the peninsula.

That’s not without reason. This is without doubt the weakest team Italy has sent to a major tournament finals in decades. They do have the benefit of the best goalkeeper who’s ever played the game in Gianluigi Buffon and an elite defensive unit in the Juventus trio of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, but further up the field, there are big issues.

The forward line is underwhelming. Simone Zaza, Ciro Immobile, Eder, Graziano Pelle and Lorenzo Insigne have combined for 11 total goals in 53 combined international caps. The likes of a Francesco Totti or Alessandro Del Piero is nowhere in sight. Even Mario Balotelli would be an upgrade from a talent perspective, regardless of where his head is.

The midfield isn’t any better. In the right circumstances, it could be, but Conte has found it decimated by injuries in the last few months. Claudio Marchisio (ACL), Marco Verratti (sports hernia) and Riccardo Montolivo (thigh) have all been ruled out due to injury. Montolivo’s main benefit is experience, but Marchisio and Verratti are probably in the top 15 or so midfielders in the world—losing them is a huge blow.

The issues in midfield have been the cause of the most controversial decisions Conte made in selecting this squad. One of the biggest? The decision to bring Juventus midfielder Stefano Sturaro to France instead of Napoli’s Jorginho.

With the Azzurri’s final pre-tournament friendly coming up on Monday against Finland, it’s time for Conte to throw Sturaro into the fire to validate that decision.

Of the players on the roster, Sturaro might be the closest comparison to Conte in his playing days. A dogged, physical presence in midfield, the 23-year-old does indeed play like Conte did. He’s also been compared to Italy and AC Milan legend Gennaro Gattuso. The biggest difference between them, though, is that Sturaro brings some ball skills to go along with it.

Born in Sanremo in 1993, Sturaro began his footballing life with local club Sanremese before transferring to Genoa’s youth sector in 2008. He spent two years in the primavera before receiving a call-up to the first team and a loan to Modena.

He made his Serie A debut in August 2013 and played in 16 games for Genoa in 2013-14. It was a small sample size, but he impressed enough to compel none other than Juventus to pony up €5.5 million for him—a fee that could double if he hits …

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