Fiorentina striker Giuseppe Rossi was the major absentee when Italy coach Cesare Prandelli named his 23-man World Cup squad last night.
Rossi’s exclusion was perhaps not a massive surprise as he missed four months of the season due to injury and didn’t have quite enough time to rediscover his form and fitness to convince Prandelli of his worth.
Versatile Napoli attacking player Lorenzo Insigne instead joins forwards Mario Balotelli and Ciro Immobile, Serie A’s top scorer this season with 22 goals, on the plane to Brazil.
Parma veteran Antonio Cassano, who will play in his first World Cup, and Torino’s Alessio Cerci are also attacking options available to Prandelli.
Another missing from the list was AC Milan midfielder Riccardo Monolivo, whose World Cup ambitions ended when he suffered a broken leg in Saturday’s warm-up against Ireland.
He has been replaced by former Liverpool misfit Alberto Aquilani, now with Fiorentina.
There were no real surprises in midfield with veteran pair Daniele De Rossi (Roma) and Andrea Pirlo (Juventus) joined by Paris Saint-Germain duo Marco Verratti and Brazilian-born Thiago Motta included.
The defence is mostly made up of the Juventus backline with Andrea Bazagli, Leonardo Bonucci andGiorgio Chiellini all expected to start in front of their club captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who is selected to go to his fifth World Cup.
If there was one unexpected inclusion in defence it was that of Torino right-back Matteo Darmian who only made his debut against Ireland and is preferred to Prandelli’s long-term first choice right-sided player Cristian Maggio of Napoli, who endured an injury-plagued season.
Beside the 23 squad players, Prandelli also named Inter Milan centre-back Andrea Ranocchia as a stand-by player.
Ranocchia can be brought in for someone right up to the day before Italy’s first match against England in Manaus on June 15.
Italy’s other Group D rivals are Uruguay and Costa Rica
Italy squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-GermainG/FRA), Mattia Perin (Genoa)
Defenders: Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Gabriel Paletta (Parma)
Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Marco Parolo (Parma), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA)
Forwards: Mario Balotelli (AC Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)
SQUADS IN BRIEF
Ghana
Jerry Akaminko, Jeffrey Schlupp and David Accam failed to make the final cut as Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah named his 23-man squad for the World Cup yesterday.
Eskisehirspor defender Akaminko picked up an ankle injury during the closing stages of the friendly defeat to Holland on Saturday and is out for three months, while Leicester defender Schlupp and Helsingborg midfielder Accam also miss out from the original 26-man selection.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Fatau Dauda, Adam Kwarasey, Stephen Adams
Defenders: Samuel Inkoom, Daniel Opare, Harrison Afful, John Boye, Jonathan Mensah, Rashid Sumalia
Midfielders: Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Rabiu Mohammed, Kwadwo Asamoah, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Afriyie Acquah, Christian Atsu, Albert Adomah, Andre Ayew, Mubarak Wakaso
Forwards: Asamoah Gyan, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Abdul Majeed Waris, Jordan Ayew
Ivory Coast
Giant striker Lacina Traore was one of five players cut from the Ivory Coast squad last night as coach Sabri Lamouchi was forced to relive his own anguish from 1998 when he was one of the last players culled from the French selection that went on to win the World Cup.
Goalkeeper Badra Ali, Francebased defenders Benjamin Angoua and Brice Dja Djedje and striker Seydou Doumbia were also left out of the final 23-man squad and Lamouchi said: “I have to do my job and make tough decisions.”
Squad
Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry, Sylvain Gbohouo, Sayouba Mande
Defenders: Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro, Serge Aurier, Souleyman Bamba, Arthur Boka, Viera Diarrassouba, Constant Djakpa, Kolo Toure, Didier Zokora
Midfielders: Geoffroy Serey Die, Ismael Diomande, Max Gradel, Cheick Tiote, Yaya Toure, Didier Ya Konan
Forwards: Mathis Bolly, Wilfried Bony, Didier Drogba, Gervinho, Salomon Kalou, Giovanni Si
Croatia
Croatia have cut their World Cup squad to the final 23 men who will travel to Brazil. Injuries had already played a part in trimming coach Niko Kovac’s options, with QPR midfielder Niko Kranjcar, Hamburg duo Milan Badelj and Ivo Ilicevic and Ivan Strinic of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk all ruled out.
Dinamo Zagreb forward Duje Bubnjic and Pasalic are among those to miss out Croatia have cut their World Cup squad to the final 23 men who will travel to Brazil.
Injuries had already played a part in trimming coach Niko Kovac’s options, with QPR midfielder Niko Kranjcar, Hamburg duo Milan Badelj and Ivo Ilicevic and Ivan Strinic of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk all ruled out.
Dinamo Zagreb forward Duje Cop has now been omitted from the final list along with Udinese defender Igor Bubnjic and midfielder Mario Pasalic of Hajduk Split.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa, Danijel Subasic, Oliver Zelenika
Defenders: Darijo Srna, Dejan Lovren, Vedran Corluka, Gordon Schildenfeld, Danijel Pranjic, Domagoj Vida, Sime Vrsaljko
Midfielders: Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Ognjen Vukojevic, Ivan Perisic, Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic, Ivan Mocinic, Sammir
Forwards: Mario Mandzukic, Ivica Olic, eduardo da Silva, nikica Jelavic, Ante Rebi
Chile
Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, recovering from right knee surgery, figured in Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli's 23-player World Cup squad announced on Sunday.
Vidal underwent a keyhole operation on a meniscus problem two weeks ago, originally prompting fears he could miss Chile's trip to the 2014 finals in Brazil.
The South Americans are drawn in Group B with defending champions Spain, Holland and Australia.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad/ESP), Johnny Herrera (Universidad de Chile), Cristopher Toselli (Universidad Catolica)
Defenders: Gary Medel (Cardiff City/ENG), Jose Rojas (Universidad de Chile), Eugenio Mena (Santos/BRA), Gonzalo Jara (Nottingham Forest/ENG)
Midfielders: Arturo Vidal (Juventus/ITA), Mauricio Isla (Juventus/ITA), Marcelo Diaz (Basel/SUI), Francisco Silva (Osasuna/ESP), Felipe Gutierrez (FC Twente/NED), Jose Pedro Fuenzalida (Colo Colo), Carlos Carmona (Atalanta/ITA), Jean Beausejour (Wigan/ENG), Charles Aranguiz (Internacional/BRA), Miiko Albornoz (Malmo/SWE)
Forwards: Alexis Sanchez (Barcelona/ESP), Eduardo Vargas (Valencia/ESP), Jorge Valdivia (Palmeiras/BRA), Mauricio Pinilla (Cagliari/ITA), Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo), Fabian Orellana (Celta Vigo/ESP)
