ROME (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Gigi Datome and Nicolo Melli are poised to make their first appearances in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers after being named in a 15-strong squad for next month's home clash with Poland and road game at Hungary.

The two have not featured for the Azzurri since last year's FIBA EuroBasket campaign which saw Italy hammer Finland in the Round of 16 but then lose to Serbia in the Quarter-Finals to finish seventh.

Datome (15 points per game) and Melli (6.9 points per game) were the Italians' second and fourth leading scorers, respectively, at EuroBasket.

Italy, who began the First Round of European Qualifiers for the World Cup with four consecutive wins before falling to Croatia and the Netherlands in the third window, enter Second Round Group J play in second place behind Lithuania (6-0) while Poland, Netherlands, Croatia and Hungary (all 3-3) are right behind them.

They host Poland on September 14 in Bologna before taking on Hungary on September 17 in Debrecen.

Veterans Marco Belinelli, Danilo Gallinari and Daniel Hacket are not included in the squad with the Italian Basketball Federation (FIP) announcing it was allowing Belinelli to practice and get ready for his upcoming NBA campaign with the San Antonio Spurs and Gallinari being held out due to three injuries he picked up last season with the Los Angeles Clippers. Hackett is recovering from an injury and is not available.

Despite their absences, there will be no shortage of weapons for coach Romeo Sachetti to call on with Amedeo Della Valle, Ariel Filloy, Pietro Aradori and Awudu Abass again in the mix.

Abass has provided Italy with a lift in the European Qualifiers

Della Valle was among the best players in the competition in the first two windows before failing to score in the loss to Croatia. He did not feature against the Netherlands.

The 25-year-old is averaging 18.4 points per game and shooting 43.2 percent (16 of 37) from three-point range.

Nicola Akele, Jeffrey Brooks, Leonard Candi, Simone Fontecchio, Raphael Gaspardo, Andrea Mezzanotte, Achille Polonara and Giampaolo Ricci are not among the 15 players in the squad but are reserves.

Italy's players and coaches will gather in Trentino on August 25 to begin preparations for the games. The team will fly to Hamburg, Germany to take part in the Supercup and face the Czech Republic on September 7 and then Germany or Turkey on September 8.

After the Second Round, which also has windows in November and February, the top three sides in each of the four groups will clinch spots in next year's 32-team World Cup.

FIBA