Italy's national team selector Marcello Lippi has presented the list of 23 footballers for the final phase of the 2010 World Cup starting June 11 in South Africa, DPA reported.
Italian media reported Tuesday that Lippi sent home five players from the world champion squad currently training at an Alpine camp in the village of Sestriere.
Out after eight days of training are Palermo goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, his defence team-mate Mattia Cassani, Cagliari midfielder Andrea Cossu and strikers Marco Borriello from AC Milan and Giuseppe Rossi of Spanish side Villarreal.
Lippi waited until late Tuesday to issue the list, seemingly because he feared that a knee injury could sideline Juventus forward Mauro Camoranesi, a 2006 world champion who was injured while training, but should recover after a few days of rest.
The Azzurri continue their training at a 2,000-metre high camp in the Alps, 100 kilometres west of Turin, a location chosen to simulate conditions the athletes will find in some South African cities.
They have scheduled friendlies with Mexico on Thursday in Brussels and Saturday at Switzerland before departing on June 8 for South Africa.
The debut of the reigning champions at the World Cup is set for June 14 against Paraguay before Group F games with New Zealand on June 20 and Slovakia on June 24.
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari).
Defenders: Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan).
Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan).
Strikers: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli). dpa ac ff Author: Alberto Cagliano