Italy: Rossi and Balzaretti back

By Football Italia staff

Cesare Prandelli has recalled Giuseppe Rossi and Federico Balzaretti for Italy’s World Cup qualifiers against Denmark and Armenia.

The Azzurri have already booked their spot at Brazil 2014 with two games to spare, so the Coach has the opportunity to experiment in these last two Group B encounters.

Italy travel to Copenhagen to play Denmark on Friday October 11 (kick-off 19.15 UK time), then host Armenia at the Stadio San Paolo in Naples on Tuesday October 15 (kick-off 19.45 UK time).

The squad will get together at the Coverciano training ground on Monday afternoon.

Prandelli has called up Fiorentina striker Rossi for the first time in two years, confirming the end of his knee injury nightmare.

Rossi has scored five goals in Serie A so far this season and was joint Capocannoniere going into this weekend.

Roma full-back Balzaretti is also recalled for the first time since a friendly in November 2012, buoyed by his club’s perfect start to the campaign and a goal in the Rome Derby.

As Prandelli had already confirmed, Mario Balotelli is also included despite his three-match ban for insulting a referee, as the Coach believes the Milan man has ‘already paid’ for that indiscretion.

GK: Buffon (Juventus), Marchetti (Lazio), Sirigu (Paris Saint Germain);

D: Abate (Milan), Astori (Cagliari), Balzaretti (Roma), Bonucci (Juventus), Chiellini (Juventus), De Silvestri (Sampdoria), Pasqual (Fiorentina), Ranocchia (Inter);

M: Aquilani (Fiorentina), Candreva (Lazio), De Rossi (Roma), Diamanti (Bologna), Florenzi (Roma), Giaccherini (Sunderland), Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Milan), Pirlo (Juventus), Poli (Milan), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint Germain), Verratti (Paris Saint Germain);

F: Balotelli (Milan), Cerci (Torino), Gilardino (Genoa), Insigne (Napoli), Osvaldo (Southampton), Rossi (Fiorentina)

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