Italy will be without two key midfielders for the Euro 2016 finals in France but defender Leonardo Bonucci still reckons the Azzurri are strong enough to mount a serious challenge for the title next month.

The Italian national team players are currently in their build-up to the European tournament and they play a friendly against Scotland on Sunday. This warm-up match will be staged at the National Stadium in Malta.

Some critics are questioning Italy’s chances in Euro 2016 where they were drawn in Group E along with Belgium, Ireland and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden.

However, Bonucci, of Juventus, remains hopeful.

“I dream of a great European Championship, both personally and as a team,” Bonucci told reporters yesterday.

“We want to get as far as possible and have no regrets later. I have a huge desire to get started and confront the great national teams. It’s normal that we all need great sacrifice and humility.

“We’ll be a group of 23 players plus the staff and the boss who will fight for one goal. We want to turn this initial scepticism into joy.”

Bonucci reckons the friendly in Malta this weekend will be an important game for the Azzurri.

“In Malta, we’ll be putting into practice the coach’s ideas so we must be totally concentrated and focused against Scotland.

“It will be important to find the right cohesion so we can cause problems for any team we face.

“Our group is difficult, but we’ll study our opponents. If I were to make assessments I’d put Belgium first, Sweden second and Ireland third, but we’ll never change our approach.”

Meanwhile, the Azzurri play the Fiorentina youth team in another warm-up match in Coverciano this afternoon.

Before the match, coach Antonio Conte is expected to give more news on his squad for France.

Scotland feelings

Steven Naismith admits shrugging off Scotland’s Euro 2016 heartache has not got any easier after seeing his side consigned to the role of tournament warm-up act.

Gordon Strachan’s squad are gearing up for Sunday’s friendly with Italy in Malta, followed by a trip to Metz six days later where they will take on France.

But unlike their opponents, that is where their summer duties end after failing to qualify for the European Championships.

Both the French hosts and the Azzurri will use their encounter with the Dark Blues to ready themselves for their march to Paris, but that has only reminded Naismith of what his side has missed out on.

The Norwich City forward said: “That is the worst part of it.

“It’s good to meet up and test ourselves against two world-class countries, but we are the preparation and that is it.

“That is a massive disappointment. Everybody realises that this is the feeling you get when you don’t qualify and we don’t want to go through it again, especially when we were so close.

“When you have been in such a good position, it’s not good to be the warm-up act.”

Ta’ Qali friendly

The Italy-Scotland friendly on Sunday starts at 20.45 and the stadium gates at Ta’ Qali will open to the public at 19.00.

Tickets may be purchased from www.italy-scotland.mfa.com.mt or from the following outlets:

Eros Stationery; Lion King Stationery, TeamSport, Matrix, Star Tourist Services, KSU on Campus, Gozo Stadium and the Malta FA (Millennium Stand).