Marco Verratti injury blow for Italy

Italy midfielder Marco Verratti will miss Euro 2016 after undergoing surgery to repair a groin injury, his club Paris Saint-Germain confirmed last night.

Verratti’s appearances for Paris Saint-Germain have been severely restricted since suffering the injury in February and, while manager Laurent Blanc has continued to talk up his recovery, reports in Italy yesterday claimed the injury has flared up again this week, leading to speculation that the club might want the player to undergo surgery now in bid to have him fully fit for the start of next season.

Those reports have proven accurate with the 23-year-old now set to have an operation on May 16.