Lippi saves big guns for Confed Cup

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has left his top players out of his squad for next month’s friendly against Northern Ireland, keeping them fresh for the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Lippi on Thursday named two squads, with 13 players guaranteed to be on the plane heading for Africa on June 7.

His other squad, comprised of 21 players, will compete for the 10 remaining squad places for the Confederations Cup, which also takes place next month.

They will be the only ones in contention to face Northern Ireland in Pisa on June 6, however, by the time that match is played, Lippi will already have handed in the names of his final 23-man squad for the Confederations Cup as FIFA’s deadline is on June 4.

The Northern Ireland squad is mostly made up of young and some untried players such as Inter Milan full-back Davide Santon.

However there are a few experienced internationals in the group like AC Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso, who will be trying to prove he’s got the fitness to play in South Africa having been out since Christmas.

Squad to face Northern Ireland in a friendly in Pisa on June 6:

Goalkeepers: Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray/TUR), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari)

Defenders: Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool/ENG), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lyon/FRA), Andrea Esposito (Lecce), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Davide Santon (Inter Milan)

Midfielders: Marco Biagianti (Catania), Matteo Brighi (AS Roma), Gaetano D’Agostino (Udinese), Daniele Galloppa (Siena), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Pasquale Foggia (Lazio)

Forwards: Giuseppe Mascara (Catania), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Sergio Pellissier (Chievo), Giuseppe Rossi (Villareal/ESP)

Preselected squad for Confederations Cup in South Africa:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Palermo)

Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid/ESP), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan)

Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)

Forwards: Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich/GER)