Italy will return to competitive action on Friday when they begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in Bulgaria.
Italy will return to competitive action on Friday when they begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in Bulgaria.
Boss Cesare Prandelli, who led his side to the Final of Euro 2012, is set to field a 3-5-2 system in Sofia. Antonio Nocerino of Milan is on stand-by just in case Roma’s Daniele De Rossi doesn’t make the team because of injury.
Here are the probable line-ups…
Bulgaria (4-5-1): Mihaylov; Y. Minev, V. Minev, Ivanov, Manolev; Bodurov, Gadjev, Milanov, Dyakov, Gargorov; Popov.
Italy (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Ogbonna; Giaccherini, Marchisio, De Rossi (Nocerino), Pirlo, Maggio; Giovinco, Osvaldo.
Ref: Atkinson (ENG)