Liam Duckstein
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Turkiye host Italy in the UEFA Nations League on Monday 28 September 2026, and the predicted lineups for this Turkiye vs Italy meeting reveal two coaches who barely rotated in the fixtures we have on file. Vincenzo Montella’s Turkiye and Roberto Mancini’s Italy each arrive with just one recent line-up to draw on, and both showed almost no change across it, so the projected XIs below lean heavily on that single match. The contrast, if there is one, is in degree rather than kind – Turkiye look marginally the more settled of the two.
Turkiye Predicted XI
Turkiye are projected in a 4-2-3-1, the formation Vincenzo Montella prefers as his default setup. It is a settled side – 10 of the projected XI started their last match – though with only one previous line-up feeding this data, the projected line-up should be read as tentative rather than confirmed. Emirhan Topçu is the one name included here without having started that match, the sole change to an otherwise unchanged back line. Goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır and the rest of the outfield players all carried a start from the same sample into this projection.
Turkiye predicted XI: Uğurcan Çakır; Zeki Çelik, Merih Demiral, Abdulkerim Bardakçı, Emirhan Topçu; Salih Özcan, Arda Güler, Can Yilmaz Uzun, Ismail Yüksek, Oğuz Aydın; Baris Alper Yilmaz
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 1 | Last 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Uğurcan Çakır | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 2 | Zeki Çelik | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 3 | Merih Demiral | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 14 | Abdulkerim Bardakçı | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 4 | Emirhan Topçu | 0/1 | 0/1 |
| M | 5 | Salih Özcan | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 10 | Arda Güler | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 11 | Can Yilmaz Uzun | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 16 | Ismail Yüksek | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 18 | Oğuz Aydın | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| F | 21 | Baris Alper Yilmaz | 1/1 | 1/1 |
Predicted Italy Line-up
Italy also line up in a 4-2-3-1, matching Roberto Mancini’s own preferred system. The side is largely settled, with 9 of the projected XI starting their last match, yet this too rests on a single previous fixture, so the expected XI carries the same tentative label as Turkiye’s. Rolando Mandragora and Issa Doumbia are the two names projected into midfield without having started that match, while the rest of the side – from Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal to Pio Esposito up front – simply repeats what started last time out.
Italy predicted XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Riccardo Calafiori, Diego Coppola, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Gianluca Mancini; Alessandro Romano, Sandro Tonali, Nicolò Barella, Rolando Mandragora, Issa Doumbia; Pio Esposito
| Line | # | Player | Starts in last 1 | Last 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 1 | Gianluigi Donnarumma | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 5 | Riccardo Calafiori | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 6 | Diego Coppola | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 22 | Giovanni Di Lorenzo | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| D | 23 | Gianluca Mancini | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 4 | Alessandro Romano | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 8 | Sandro Tonali | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 18 | Nicolò Barella | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| M | 13 | Rolando Mandragora | 0/1 | 0/1 |
| M | 15 | Issa Doumbia | 0/1 | 0/1 |
| F | 7 | Pio Esposito | 1/1 | 1/1 |
Team News and Confirmed Absentees
Orkun Kökçü is out injured, thinning Turkiye’s midfield options for this fixture. Ferdi Kadıoğlu, who started once across the sample used here, looks the most obvious body to step into that unit from the bench if the head coach wants a change.
| Player | Pos | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orkun Kökçü | M | injured | Toe Injury |
Antonio Vergara, Nicolo Fagioli and Sebastiano Esposito are out injured, leaving Italy short in both midfield and attack. Moise Kean and Nicolo Cambiaghi each carry a start from the same recent sample, so either forward looks well placed to feature in the team news if Mancini opts for fresh legs.
| Player | Pos | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Vergara | M | injured | Unknown Injury |
| Nicolo Fagioli | M | injured | Unknown Injury |
| Sebastiano Esposito | F | injured | Unknown Injury |
How We Predict These XIs
Each predicted lineup here is built from the most recent line-ups we hold for that side – in this case just one match apiece for both Turkiye and Italy – with more recent matches always weighted more heavily than older ones whenever more games are available. Anyone confirmed injured or suspended, such as Orkun Kökçü for Turkiye or Antonio Vergara, Nicolo Fagioli and Sebastiano Esposito for Italy, is removed before the remaining shape is filled in. Because only one match feeds each side’s data here, this should be treated as a tentative early projection rather than a confirmed lineup, and it can change once the official team news is announced closer to kickoff.
Read also: Turkiye vs Italy Head-to-Head: Record, Stats & Form as of 26 Sep 2026
Read also: Turkey vs Italy Prediction: 28.09.2026 UEFA Nations League
FAQ
What formation are Turkiye and Italy expected to play?
Both sides are projected in a 4-2-3-1, matching Vincenzo Montella’s and Roberto Mancini’s preferred setups respectively.
Who is predicted to start in goal for Turkiye vs Italy?
Uğurcan Çakır is projected to start in goal for Turkiye, with Gianluigi Donnarumma expected between the posts for Italy.
Who is unavailable for Turkiye vs Italy?
Turkiye are without Orkun Kökçü through injury, while Italy are missing Antonio Vergara, Nicolo Fagioli and Sebastiano Esposito, all out injured.
When do Turkiye and Italy kick off?
The UEFA Nations League fixture kicks off on Monday 28 September 2026.