Lippi ditches Rossi, Borriello and Cassani

Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi and Palermo centre-back Mattia Cassani were the surprise omissions from Italy coach Marcello Lippi’s final 23-man World Cup squad announced on Tuesday.

It meant that Napoli forward Fabio Quagliarella kept his place in the squad as well as Sampdoria forward Giampaolo Pazzini, although AC Milan targetman Marco Borriello misses out.

Palermo goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and Cagliari midfielder Andrea Cossu were the other two players cut from Lippi’s 28-man squad training at altitude in Sestriere.

Veteran Juventus winger Mauro Camoranesi kept his place despite hurting his knee in training on Tuesday.

Italy:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari)

Defenders: Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan)

Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)

Strikers: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli)