Italy Coach Cesare Prandelli has included Milan’s Stephan El Shaarawy in his 42-man squad to undergo physical performance tests early next week.
The decision comes in spite of the 21-year-old having not played any competitive football this calendar year and beyond due to a foot injury.
Italy Coach Cesare Prandelli has included Milan’s Stephan El Shaarawy in his 42-man squad to undergo physical performance tests early next week.
The decision comes in spite of the 21-year-old having not played any competitive football this calendar year and beyond due to a foot injury.
Other notable players included for the tests in Coverciano are Giuseppe Rossi, Antonio Cassano, Simone Scuffet and Crotone player Federico Bernardeschi.
The likes of Francesco Totti and Luca Toni however are left out, a move which suggests they do not feature in Prandelli's plans for this summer's World Cup.
The players who have been called up have been split into two groups depending on availability.
The first and larger group will take the tests on Monday, while the second is composed solely of Milan, Juventus and Udinese players and will complete the exercises on Tuesday.
Italian players plying their trade abroad meanwhile will be unable to take part, due to the fact that the tests will take place outside FIFA allotted international release dates.
Italy’s 42-man squad for physical testing:
Group One: Bardi (Livorno), Mirante (Parma), Perin (Genoa), Astori (Cagliari), Darmian (Torino), De Silvestri (Sampdoria), Paletta (Parma), Pasqual (Fiorentina), Ranocchia (Inter), Aquilani (Fiorentina), Baselli (Atalanta), Bernardeschi (Crotone), Bertolacci (Genoa), Bonaventura (Atalanta), Candreva (Lazio), De Rossi (Roma), Florenzi (Roma), Parolo (Parma), Romulo (Verona), Berardi (Sassuolo), Cassano (Parma), Cerci (Torino), Gabbiadini (Sampdoria), Gilardino (Genoa), Immobile (Torino), Insigne (Napoli), Rossi (Fiorentina), Zaza (Sassuolo).
Group Two:Buffon (Juventus), Scuffet (Udinese), Abate (Milan), Barzagli (Juventus), Bonucci (Juventus), Chiellini (Juventus), De Sciglio (Milan), Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Milan), Pirlo (Juventus), Poli (Milan), Balotelli (Milan), El Shaarawy (Milan), Osvaldo (Juventus).