Italy: Cannavaro's comeback
Fabio Cannavaro and Luca Toni are back for the World Cup qualifiers against Cyprus and Georgia, but there’s still no room for Antonio Cassano.
Marcello Lippi has stuck with much the same squad that drew 2-2 with Austria in a friendly earlier this month, with the return of Cannavaro and Toni from injury.
The World Cup winning captain and 2006 Ballon d’Or makes his comeback for the first time since fracturing a bone in his foot just days before the start of Euro 2008.
It is an important return, as Italy have to do without the injured Giorgio Chiellini and Marco Materazzi at centre-back.
As expected, Sampdoria starlet Cassano has been left out again by Lippi despite his good show at the European Championships this summer.
Gennaro Gattuso is in the side, although he missed Milan’s 2-1 defeat to Bologna today due to a shoulder injury he sustained while on international duty.
The Azzurri begin their 2010 qualifying campaign on September 6 away to Cyprus and then welcome Georgia to the Stadio Friuli in Udine on September 10.
Italy squad:
Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), Amelia (Palermo), De Sanctis (Galatasaray)
Defenders: Barzagli (Wolfsburg), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Cassetti (Roma), Dossena (Liverpool), Gamberini (Fiorentina), Grosso (Lyon), Legrottaglie (Juventus), Zambrotta (Milan)
Midfielders: Aquilani (Roma), Camoranesi (Juventus), De Rossi (Roma), Gattuso (Milan), Palombo (Sampdoria), Pirlo (Milan)
Forwards: Del Piero (Juventus), Di Natale (Udinese), Gilardino (Fiorentina), Iaquinta (Juventus), Toni (Bayern Munich)
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