Debuts for Rossi, Pepe, Maggio and Santacroce

October 6, 2008

A new look Italian side will be on display this week as an injury crisis has hit the Azzurri, Lippi has had to call-up four new faces to the national set-up to face Bulgaria and Montenegro this week.

Lippi’s side have been unconvincing at late and with injuries to Andrea Pirlo, Marco Materazzi, Vicenzo Iaquinta, Fabio Grosso, Nicola Legrottaglie, Marco Cassetti, and Angelo Palombo, definitely won’t help their cause.

These injuries have resulted in four debuts; Villareal’s Guiseppe Rossi. The American born’s impressive form with the Yellow Submarines has seen him earn a spot in the Azzurri set-up. While Udinese’s Pepe was also called-up along with Napoli’s duo Christian Maggio and Fabiano Santacroce. The call-up hosts great emotion’s for Santacroce as it was only last season when he was playing in Serie B with Brescia.

Alessandro Del Piero has been left out after confirming that Lippi did phone him to give him a reason as to why he was left out, while Antonio Cassano was also dropped despite his impressive form with the blucerchiati at late. Wolfsburg’s defender Andrea Barzagli was also left out of the squad.

Italy will travel to Bulgaria on Saturday and will return to face Montenegro in Lecce on Wednesday 15 October.

Italy squad called up:
Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), Amelia (Palermo), De Sanctis (Galatasaray)
Defenders: Bonera (Milan), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Chiellini (Juventus), Dossena (Liverpool), Gamberini (Fiorentina), Santacroce (Napoli), Zambrotta (Milan)
Midfielders: Aquilani (Roma), Camoranesi (Juventus), De Rossi (Roma), Gattuso (Milan), Maggio (Napoli), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Nocerino (Palermo), Perrotta (Roma)
Forwards: Di Natale (Udinese), Gilardino (Fiorentina), Pepe (Udinese), G Rossi (Villareal), Toni (Bayern Munich)

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