Rome (AFP) – Torino striker Andrea Belotti has been ruled out of Italy’s opening World Cup qualifier in Israel on Monday due to injury, the Italian Football Federation confirmed.

The 22-year-old Belotti, who won his first cap in Thursday’s 3-1 friendly defeat to France in Bari, has a thigh injury.

Italy face Israel in Haifa before also coming up against Spain, Albania, Macedonia and Liechtenstein in Group G.