Italy’s 4-1 defeat to Norway in their final World Cup qualifier meant they dropped into the play-off qualification round.
Gattuso’s side were handed a home draw against Northern Ireland and will face either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina five days later for a place at the finals in North America.
Stakes are high for Italy after they were beaten by Sweden and North Macedonia and missed out on a place at the 2022 World Cup in the last play-offs.
The former AC Milan midfielder has warned his players against underestimating their opponent this time around.
“It’s a physical team; they never give up,” he said.
“We have to play it. I’ve been saying this for three months. We knew we had to go through the Play-Offs; we knew our path had to improve. We look ahead with confidence.”