Italy coach Marcello Lippi has named three uncapped players in his
23-man squad for Wednesday's friendly against Cameroon in Monte
Carlo.
Palermo goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, Bari defender Leonardo
Bonucci and Cagliari midfielder Andrea Cossu have been given the
chance to make their first appearance for the world champions.
AC Milan striker Marco Borriello returns to the national team
after a long absence having last received a call-up in June 2008
while Daniele Bonera, Riccardo Montolivo and Cristian Maggio also
return to the fold.
Lippi has been unable to call on the injured Gianluigi
Buffon, Fabio Grosso, Gianluca Zambrotta, Vincenzo Iaquinta and
Gaetano D'Agostino.
Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi and Juventus midfielder
Antonio Candreva have been dropped from the squad with Lippi
turning to in-form strikers Antonio Di Natale and Giampaolo
Pazzini.
Udinese's Di Natale is Serie A's top scorer with 19 goals
while Pazzini has hit 12 so far for Sampdoria.
Wednesday's game will be the first of three friendlies Italy
play before this summer's World Cup.
Italy squad: Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti
(Cagliari), Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo); Daniele Bonera (Milan),
Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Fabio
Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Mattia Cassani
(Palermo), Cristian Maggio (Napoli), Domenico Criscito (Genoa);
Simone Pepe (Udinese), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo
Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (Milan), Claudio Marchisio
(Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (Milan),
Andrea Cossu (Cagliari); Marco Borriello (Milan), Antonio Di Natale
(Udinese), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Fabio Quagliarella
(Napoli).
