Injury rules Italy striker Kean out of World Cup qualifier with Israel

MILAN: Moise Kean will miss Italy’s key World Cup qualifier against Israel after failing to recover from an ankle injury, the country’s football federation said on Monday.

“Tests carried out this morning showed that the Fiorentina attacker hasn’t fully recovered from the injury suffered to his right ankle during Saturday’s match with Estonia,” the FIGC said.

Kean’s absence is a blow for Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso as the 25-year-old has scored six times in his last four matches for his country, including the opening goal in the 3-1 win over Estonia over the weekend.

He netted in the fifth minute of the Group I fixture in Tallinn but had to be replaced by Pio Esposito shortly afterwards due to an awkward fall which caused an ankle sprain.

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DIRECT QUALIFICATION A TOUGH ASK

Italy sit second in the five-team group, six points behind leaders Norway and three ahead of third-placed Israel with a game in hand on both.

A win in Udine on Tuesday will secure Italy at least second place and a spot in the play-offs, with only first giving direct qualification for next year’s finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

However Italy, who have three fixtures left to play, would need Norway to slip up against Estonia next month to have any realistic chance of finishing top, due to the huge gap in goal difference between the Azzurri and Erling Haaland and company.

Italy host Norway in their final group fixture, at the San Siro on November 16.

Tuesday’s match has been overshadowed by the prospect of a pro-Palestinian demonstration, with as many as 10,000 people expected to take part in a march through Udine in protest at the staging of the fixture.

The demonstrations will be in response to Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip, which was sparked by the attack by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, on nearby Israeli communities.

During massive strike action in support of the Palestinians earlier this month, demonstrators went to the Italian national team’s training centre in Florence to demand the match be called off.

Udine’s mayor Alberto Felice De Toni has also asked for the match to be postponed over fears of potential violence in the small city, in Italy’s far north-east.