De Rossi out, Bonucci returns

Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi will miss Monday's 2018 World Cup qualifier in Israel but defender Leonardo Bonucci is expected to be available, the Italian football federation said on Friday.

De Rossi, 33, was injured during Thursday's 3-1 defeat to France in Bari and will sit out his country's opening Group G qualifier in Haifa.

Coach Giampiero Ventura had earlier said Bonucci would not make the trip to Israel due to family reasons, but the Juventus defender is set to rejoin his international teammates on Saturday after an improvement in the health of his two-year-old son.

Fellow Juve centre-back Andrea Barzagli remains a doubt, though, as Italy prepare for the start of a qualifying campaign in which they will likely battle with Spain for the group's lone automatic qualifying berth.