“I dream that the European Championship can end for me in the same way that Francesco Totti’s World Cup did in 2006 after his injury,” stated Giuseppe Rossi. “Italy boss Cesare Prandelli knows what I can give to the team and what I can do on the pitch. I would like to give my contribution in Poland and Ukraine.”

Those were the words of the Villarreal man in March as he edged closer to recovering from knee ligament surgery which had seen him sidelined since the autumn. Fast forward to last Friday and Pepito’s Euro 2012 hopes vanished with a twist of the same knee in training. Another operation, another six months out.

Rossi, however, could only have been realistically considered as an outsider to actually make the squad, even before his most recent setback. Prandelli had publicly declared that he would wait until the very last moment to verify the fitness and form of the American-born prodigy, but time was always against the 25-year-old to prove that he was ready to play at the levels needed for the Azzurri.

Fabio Quagliarella knows a thing or two about that. Just six minutes into the first Serie A game of 2011, the Juventus man collapsed under his own weight in a tie against Parma. Damaged right knee ligaments saw his campaign come to an end and only now, 15 months after the event, is he anywhere near to his previous best.

“Boss Antonio Conte got to know me initially when I was still finding my feet after my fitness problems,” the forward noted recently. “When I started to feel better I wanted to play, but the Coach, quite rightly, told me that I had to wait as I wasn’t ready.”

Quagliarella, 28, has only been used 20 times in Serie A this term – and 13 of those have come from the bench. However, he’s broken into the first team plans of the demanding Conte in recent weeks and he could soon do the same when it comes to Prandelli.

Although the versatile striker hasn’t played for his country since the 1-1 draw with Romania in a 2010 friendly, there are the conditions in place for Quagliarella to make a return to the Giro Azzurro just in time for this summer’s championships.

Prandelli has got more of a migraine than a headache when it comes to his attacking department. Having stumbled on the effective little and little formula of Antonio Cassano and Rossi in qualifying, both were then taken out of the equation for fitness issues in late 2011.

While Milan’s Cassano is now playing again following heart surgery, it’s by no means certain that the former Fiorentina boss will take a gamble on him. That leaves Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli as the only real certainty in the forward squad – even with his code of ethics issues – amidst a bunch of other attackers who have question marks against them.

Antonio Di Natale of Udinese continues to find the net, but he can’t physically guarantee Udinese three games in a week at his 34-years-of-age. Roma’s Fabio Borini is inexperienced, whereas teammate Pablo Daniel Osvaldo is inconsistent. Parma’s Sebastian Giovinco looks more like a squad player at this level, while the current lack of form shown by Alberto Gilardino of Genoa, Juventus’ Alessandro Matri and Inter’s Giampaolo Pazzini is terrifying.

It’s with such a backdrop that Quagliarella has to seriously be considered for selection. He’s got a touch of invention that other attacking options don’t have, as well as a freshness – he’s played in only 786 minutes of Serie A football this term – which could give the Azzurri that edge which they are currently lacking up front.

“I admit that returning to the Italy squad is one of my prime targets,” Quagliarella states. “I want to enter the thoughts of Prandelli again, but it all depends on what I can do with Juventus for the rest of this season.” Quagliarella’s got six games and four weeks to make his case.

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow