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 have shown that the Fiorentina forward has not yet fully recovered from the injury to his right ankle suffered in Saturday’s match against 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 games for his country, including the opening goal in the 3-1 win over Estonia last weekend.
Kean scored in the fifth minute of the Group I match in Tallinn, but had to be replaced by Pio Esposito shortly afterwards due to an awkward fall that caused an ankle sprain.
Italy are second in the five-team group, six points behind leaders Norway and three ahead of third-placed Israel with a match in hand on both.
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A win in Udine on Tuesday will secure Italy at least second place and a spot in the play-offs, with only first place providing direct qualification for next year’s finals in the US, Canada and Mexico.
But Italy, who have three games left to play, would need Norway to play Estonia next month to have a realistic chance of finishing top, due to the huge difference in goal difference between the Azzurri and Erling Haaland and company.
Italy hosts Norway in the final group match, at San Siro on November 16.
Tuesday’s match was 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 against the organization of the match.
The demonstrations will be in response to Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip, which was sparked by Hamas militants’ October 7, 2023 attack on nearby Israeli communities.
During a massive strike action in support of the Palestinians earlier this month, demonstrators descended on the Italian national team’s training center in Florence to demand the match be cancelled.
The mayor of Udine, Alberto Felice De Toni, has also asked for the match to be postponed due to fears of possible violence in the small city in Italy’s far northeast.
Published on October 13, 2025
