Italy Hunting For Striker Solution As England Euro 2024 Qualifiers Clash Looms

Luciano Spalletti is looking for a solution to Italy's long-standing striker problem as the Azzurri gear up for two crucial Euro 2024 qualifiers with Malta and England. The European champions have scored six times in their four Group C matches, 10 fewer than runaway leaders England who are six points ahead of second-placed Italy, Ukraine and North Macedonia. They will also be without Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo after the pair were sent home after criminal prosecutors launched an investigation into alleged gambling offences.

Veteran Lazio striker Ciro Immobile and Argentina-born Mateo Retegui, who has had a positive start to life in Italy with Genoa, are both injured, leaving Spalletti with few and uninspiring options up front.

Gianluca Scamacca has scored twice in six appearances for new club Atalanta, although he has been hampered by an early season hamstring injury, but is yet to net for the Azzurri after 11 international caps.

Meanwhile Moise Kean has been called up for the first time in two years despite being a bit-part player at Juventus and yet to score this campaign.

One of those two are likely however to lead the line against bottom side Malta in Bari on Saturday also in the absence of Kean's Juve teammate Federico Chiesa, who is hopeful of returning on Tuesday at Wembley, the site of Italy's thrilling Euro 2020 triumph against England.

Chiesa has shown in the opening weeks of the season that he can play centre-forward, with four goals in seven matches since being moved into a more central attacking position this season.

Giacomo Raspadori seems like an ideal Spalletti player and performed well in last month's 2-1 win over Ukraine but on Monday the former Napoli coach suggested that he wanted more of a