Lucca injury to postpone Italy debut

Udinese striker Lorenzo Lucca will not make his Italy debut tomorrow against Ecuador, as he has sustained a thigh injury.

The centre-forward received his first call-up for the senior squad, having made six appearances for the Under-21 side, scoring two goals.

He found the net eight times with three assists in 31 games for Udinese so far this season, earning himself a call-up from coach Luciano Spalletti.

After Mateo Retegui netted both goals in the 2-1 win over Venezuela on Thursday evening, Lucca had been tipped to play against Ecuador on Sunday.

However, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lucca is not going to be fit in time, as he sustained a muscular problem in the flexor of his right thigh during training.

Lucca spent his career in various youth academies including Vicenza, Torino and Brescia, then played for Palermo, Pisa and Ajax until the transfer to Udinese on loan with an option to buy for €8m plus bonuses.