Camarda forced to withdraw from Italy U21 squad after head trauma

It was only later that Lecce coach Eusebio Di Francesco reveal this was a forced decision, because after an accidental knock to the head, Camarda had memory loss and didn’t remember something that had happened moments earlier.

The teenager was taken to hospital for tests and diagnosed with head trauma.

This means Camarda had to withdraw from the Italy Under-21 squad, where he had been due to play in the European Championship qualifiers against Montenegro on September 5 and North Macedonia on September 9.

Instead, Genoa striker Ekhator was promoted from the Under-20 squad to new coach Silvio Baldini’s side.

Italy Under-21 squad

Goalkeepers: Diego Mascardi (Spezia), Edoardo Motta (Reggiana), Lapo Nava (Cremonese);

Defenders: Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Fabio Chiarodia (Borussia M’gladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Fiorentina), Riyad Idrissi (Cagliari), Michael Kayode (Brentford), Filippo Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Luca Marianucci (Napoli), Brando Moruzzi (Empoli), Marco Palestra (Cagliari);

Midfielders: Lorenzo Amatucci (Las Palmas), Tommaso Berti (Cesena), Matteo Dagasso (Pescara), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Cher Ndour (Fiorentina), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma);

Forwards: Luigi Cherubini (Sampdoria), Seydou Fini (Genoa), Luca Koleosho (Espanyol), Simone Pafundi (Sampdoria), Antonio Raimondo (Frosinone), Lorenzo Venturino (Genoa), Jeff Ekhator (Genoa)