Italy coach Cesare Prandelli is set to name his 23-man squad for the World Cup in Brazil after the Republic of Ireland friendly on Saturday.
At this point, we expect Prandelli to take three goalkeepers, seven defenders, eight midfielders and five forwards. With that in mind, he has to leave seven players at home that made the provisional 30 player roster.
The three goalkeepers in Gianluigi Buffon, Salvatore Sirigu and Mattia Perin are set. Antonio Mirante is on standby just in case one of the shot-stoppers suffers a last-minute injury.
As for the defence, it appears as if Andrea Ranocchia, Matteo Darmian and Christian Maggio may miss out.
Prandelli is adamant that every player must be in top shape and can face the vigours of this hot and humid World Cup. Napoli full back Maggio may struggle due to the collapsed lung he suffered a couple of months ago and so Verona player Romulo, who is able to play in the same position, does offer a more stable option.
Ranocchia, enjoyed a small resurgence with Inter in the second half of this season, but has never impressed in any of his 12 caps. With Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Gabriel Paletta to compete with, the Nerazzurri man may be the odd one out.
Dropping Darmian is understandable given his inexperience, though he would be a decent backup option at either left or right back. He is primarily suited for the latter which already has some competition and so may mean the Torino man stays in Italy.
The midfield has a plethora of options with many that are able to play in several areas of the pitch. A lack of versatility could possibly affect Riccardo Montolivo and Alberto Aquilani the most. They’re able to play a little more advanced or withdrawn, but prefer to be deployed as out-and-out central midfielders.
Claudio Marchisio is loved by Prand
elli for his work rate, so there’s no chance of him being cut as is the case for Daniele De Rossi.
Marco Parolo is another tireless player while Thiago Motta is an effective passer of the ball who can also help break up the opposing attack and transition forward. Both these may be preferred to Aquilani and Montolivo.
The forwards present the biggest conundrum for Prandelli. Each of the seven have unique traits that could justify their place in the final 23.
Giuseppe Rossi is the only fitness doubt. While he was able to score twice in four appearances since returning from injury, surely Prandelli will have concerns over his damaged knee ligaments which may put his place at risk.
Assuming Rossi is deemed fit enough to participate in Brazil, the man who could be cut is Mattia Destro. Ciro Immobile, Mario Balotelli and Rossi would give Prandelli his three central strikers, all of who are more reliable scoring options than the Roma player.
Destro suffers against Lorenzo Insigne, Alessio Cerci and Antonio Cassano, who all play in different roles along the front line. One of these three will also have to watch the games from their home television sets alongside Destro, with reports suggesting Insigne might be the unlucky man.
Obviously this isn’t set in stone. The one man who knows the most about his team will make the final decision. Prandelli has some intriguing choices to make.
Whoever he selects will have a logical reason behind it, whether it’s chemistry with other players or for tactical purposes.
