Moise Kean in Line to Replace Injured Retegui for Italy Against Germany

Italy striker Mateo Retegui has been ruled out of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Germany due to a thigh injury, with Moise Kean likely to replace him.

Italy's national team has suffered a significant blow ahead of their UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Germany, as key forward Mateo Retegui has been ruled out due to injury. The Italy Football Association (FIGC) announced on Wednesday that Retegui will miss both legs of the quarter-final.

Retegui, who was born in Argentina but plays for Italian club Atalanta, has been in impressive form this season, topping the Serie A scoring charts with 22 goals. Since making his debut for Italy in 2023, Retegui has scored six times in 18 appearances.

The FIGC released a statement confirming Retegui's unavailability for the Germany matches. “Striker Mateo Retegui, who underwent instrumental tests this morning for a muscle strain in his right thigh was assessed as unavailable for both matches against Germany and returned to his club for further evaluation,” the statement read.

Unfortunately Mateo Retegui has suffered a thigh injury while on International duty. He won't be involved in Italy's match against Germany tomorrow and will return to Bergamo. Speedy Recovery Mateo! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/bqBDy4EBeC

— Atalanta BC News (@AtalantaBC_News) March 19, 2025

Fiorentina's Moise Kean has emerged as the top contender to lead the line for Italy against Germany, thanks to his impressive performance in the Italian league this season. With 15 goals, Kean is the second-highest scorer in the league, catching the attention of manager Luciano Spalletti.

Italy is set to host Germany at the San Siro on Thursday in the first leg of their Nations League playoff tie, with the return match scheduled for Sunday in Dortmund. The winners of this tie will earn the right to host the Nations League semi-finals and finals in June, adding extra incentive to the matchup.