Cesare Prandelli and his Italy staff will today reportedly evaluate the results from the physical tests carried out on 42 players at Coverciano last week.
Cesare Prandelli and his Italy staff will today reportedly evaluate the results from the physical tests carried out on 42 players at Coverciano last week.
The Azzurri called up a significant number of those hopeful of making the World Cup squad to the Italian Football Federation’s headquarters at the start of last week for a series of physical tests.
Designed to assess fitness levels and develop individual training programmes with each player, in view of their prospective involvement in Brazil, reports are that today will see CT Prandelli and his staff receive the results and from that will be able to move a step closer to determining a potential 23-man squad to head out to the World Cup.
Initial reports from both the Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport place Parma’s quartet of Antonio Mirante, Gabriel Paletta, Marco Parolo and Antonio Cassano as among the fittest players tested, and that this has improved each player’s respective hopes of making Prandelli’s cut.
Gianluigi Buffon and Salvatore Sirigu are assumed by the Corriere dello Sport today as the first choice two goalkeepers to make Italy’s plane out to South America this summer, with the third place still up for grabs between Mirante, Simone Scuffet and Mattia Perin.
Paletta is seen as one defender almost certain to make the 23-man squad this summer, whilst in midfield, Prandelli is seen as centring on Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi, Riccardo Montolivo, Claudio Marchisio, Thiago Motta and Antonio Candreva as definites.
Parolo is believed to be heading the list of others still in contention, including Alberto Aquilani, Alessandro Florenzi and Marco Verratti, but Emanuele Giaccherini and Alessandro Diamanti are deemed with fewer chances of making the summer.
In attack, Cassano’s reported condition is speculated as presenting the CT with the biggest quandary, but his place in Brazil apparently still hinges on whether Giuseppe Rossi can return to full fitness in time.