Azzurri axe for Alex
Friday 4 February, 2005
Alessandro Del Piero’s recent relegation to the Juventus bench is set to cost him his international place.
The No 10 has started just one of his club’s last four League games and he’s expected to be left out of the Azzurri squad for next week’s friendly against Russia.
Reports suggest that boss Marcello Lippi will pick five attackers for the Cagliari test on February 9.
They are set to be Parma’s Alberto Gilardino, Christian Vieri of Inter, plus the Roma trio of Antonio Cassano, Francesco Totti and Vincenzo Montella.
Should the 30-year-old be excluded, he would become a major doubt for the March 26 World Cup qualifier against Scotland.
Especially after Lippi recently admitted that the majority of the squad selected to face Russia would be recalled next month.