Italy vs. Uruguay: Schedule, Prediction and Preview for 2017 Friendly

Italy will be out to continue their impressive recent form on Wednesday when they host Uruguay in an international friendly at the Stade Municipal du Ray in Nice, France.

The Azzurri will use this friendly as preparation for their upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lichtenstein, and it will be fascinating to see what XI manager Giampiero Ventura chooses for the game. He named an experimental lineup for the recent 8-0 win over San Marino.

Uruguay will want to acquit themselves better than they did in their recent friendly against the Republic of Ireland, when they were emphatically beaten 3-1. It will be the final match for a number of La Celeste players before they break for the summer.

Here are the key details ahead of the friendly and a look ahead to what will be an intriguing game.

Date: Wednesday, June 7

Time: 7:45 p.m. (BST), 2:45 p.m. (ET)

Preview

Although the departure of Antonio Conte was deemed a big loss for Italy last summer, the team have responded superbly in their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Aside from a home draw with Spain, the Azzurri have won all of their games in Group G, with Ventura integrating some fresh faces into the setup in the process. With no Juventus players included in the squad for the match against San Marino on May 31, the manager got experimental again.

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One player who caught the eye for Italy in that win was AC Milan forward Gianluca Lapadula, who netted a hat-trick on the night. The Everything Milan Twitter account suggested the forward was benefitting from some quality service, something he doesn't necessarily receive at club level:

While the opposition was modest, the players picked by Ventura offered an insight into a bright future for the Italian national team.

Centre-back Mattia Caldara is tipped for big things and was impressive on his senior debut, while the likes of Domenico Berardi and Andrea Conti are also pushing for a place in the first XI.

With the Juve crop only likely to come in for the game against Lichtenstein on Sunday, they may get a chance again. But we will see Ventura turn to a few more familiar names against the determined South Americans, including star forward Andrea Belotti.

As noted by Squawka Football, the Torino poacher has enjoyed a remarkable domestic season:

Additionally, the midfield may be bolstered by the return of Marco Verratti, Daniele De Rossi and Federico Bernardeschi. After a sensational term for Napoli, Lorenzo Insigne will also be seeking to cement his position in the Italy starting XI; he's been such a threat floating infield off the left flank this term.

With a clutch of quality players to come back in, it's likely the Azzurri will be too strong for a Uruguay team that were poor against the Republic of Ireland.

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La Celeste were without star forward Luis Suarez, and when Edinson Cavani hobbled out of the game early on, they were robbed of their attacking incision.

As noted by the Football Italia Twitter account, the Paris Saint-Germain striker is doubtful for the friendly in Nice too:

Even without their core of Juventus stars, Italy will have enough here. With the likes of Insigne, Belotti and Ciro Immobile in the final third, the Azzurri look like a side who can cause a lot of problems going forward.

Given the Irish were able to unsettle the Uruguay defence with their attacking play on Sunday, it's tough to see the South Americans keeping out a more accomplished Italy team. With no Diego Godin in defence and neither star forward set to be on show, it will be another difficult evening for Oscar Tabarez's team.

Prediction: Italy 3-0 Uruguay