World Cup strikers recalled to Italy squad

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has announced his 25-man squad for Euro 2008 qualifiers against Ukraine and Georgia.

The squad includes several players who were regulars in Italy's triumphant World Cup campaign in July but had not been selected by Donadoni since he took over from Marcello Lippi a few days after the Azzurri returned from Germany.

Strikers Luca Toni, Alessandro Del Piero and Vincenzo Iaquinta have all been recalled as the world champions prepare to face Ukraine in Rome's Olympic Stadium on Oct. 7 before travelling away to Georgia on Oct. 11.

Donadoni also named defender Marco Materazzi, who missed Italy's first two Group B qualifiers last month -- a 1-1 draw with Lithuania and a 3-1 defeat by France -- after picking up a two-match ban for verbally abusing Zinedine Zidane during the World Cup final in Berlin.

There was no room, however, for two of Italy's brightest young stars.

AC Milan's Alberto Gilardino has struggled to hit the target recently in Serie A and the Champions League.

Real Madrid striker Antonio Cassano was a surprise omission, however. The 24-year-old's lively performance against Lithuania was one of the few positive notes in a lacklustre display.

Italy desperately need good results against the Ukraine and Georgia to make up for their dismal start in Group B, where they currently lie sixth out of seven teams with one point from two matches, five points behind joint leaders France and Scotland.

Italy:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Christian Abbiati (Torino), Marco Amelia (Livorno)

Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Cristian Zaccardo (Palermo), Fabio Grosso (Inter Milan), Gianluca Zambrotta (Barcelona), Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan), Massimo Oddo (Lazio), Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan), Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina)

Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Simone Perrotta (AS Roma), Stefano Mauri (Lazio), Gennaro Del Vecchio (Sampdoria)

Strikers: David Di Michele (Palermo), Luca Toni (Fiorentina), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Udinese), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan)