Italy leave Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor out of France squad

Italy coach Roberto Mancini has left Crystal Palace centre-back Honest Ahanor out of his 23-man matchday squad for Thursday’s UEFA Nations League meeting with France at San Siro, a decision that keeps the defender eligible to represent Nigeria.

Eurosport correspondent Guillaume Pacini reported that Ahanor was among the players omitted from the group selected for the fixture. Matteo Palma, Federico Gatti, Nicolo Pisilli, Alphadjo Cisse and Mattia Liberali were also left out.

The decision has significant implications for Ahanor’s international future. Although he has already played twice for Italy’s senior side, both appearances came in friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece in June. Those matches have not prevented him from changing allegiance under FIFA regulations.

Ahanor will also not become cap-tied to Italy this month. That would remain the case even if he were to make his competitive debut against Belgium on 15 November, as he is not involved in the matchday squad for the France fixture.

FIFA rules allow a player to change international allegiance if they have made no more than three senior appearances for their first national team before turning 21, along with meeting other eligibility requirements.

The situation will be of interest to the Nigeria Football Federation and Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle, who have identified Ahanor as a player of interest. The defender, however, has stated that he intends to continue his international career with Italy.

Ahanor was born in Aversa and is eligible for Nigeria through his background. The 18-year-old has nevertheless been represented by Italy at senior level and remains highly regarded within the Italian system.

His standing was underlined recently when he was named Italy’s best player under the age of 21. Ahanor received the Best Italian award at the 2026 Golden Boy, further highlighting his reputation as one of the country’s leading young players.

For now, his two friendly appearances for Italy remain his only senior caps. His omission from the France squad means his international options remain open, while any future competitive appearance for Italy would become central to the question of whether he could still switch to Nigeria.