Angelo Ogbonna called up to Italy squad

Young Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna has been called up by Italy coach Cesare Prandelli for the friendly match against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday, after Alberto Aquilani was injured in the Azzuri's 3-0 victory over Estonia in Modena last night.

Whilst the match against Giovanni Trapattoni's Irish side is only a friendly, and Ogbonna is by no means guaranteed to gain his first cap in the match, it certainly shows that Prandelli thinks highly of a player who has only played 23 Serie A games in his career, with many of those coming as a substitute. In a season of disappointment for Torino, the continued emergence of Ogbonna has been a positive, as the vice captain was arguably Toro's best player this season, and is expected to make a big money move to a Serie A club after Torino's failure to gain promotion.

Read more at SerieAWeekly.com