Sunderland boss Paolo di Canio is upset by Emanuele Giaccherini's Italy call-up this week.
Di Canio would be happier working with the winger this week on the training pitch.
He told the Sunderland Echo: "He is going to be a very important player for us and we need him to be fully fit, which he is not yet.
"He is improving all the time, but international duty might not be great for him because it is all about the matches themselves rather than the training side of things - if you do not play or do not start the matches - you can end up doing not much fitness work.
"In his case, I'm disappointed that we have not longer to work with him on our training ground.
"When he gets back we will examine his fitness levels, along with all the other players.
"You expect them to drop back a little, but hopefully not much because we need to get the very most out of our squad this season and fitness is a crucial part of it for us."
