Veteran striker Alessandro Del Piero has again been left out by Italy coach Marcello Lippi despite the impressive form the Juventus captain has recently shown.
Del Piero's omission was no surprise as Lippi had said recently that he wanted to test new players in friendlies, and that he told Del Piero he could make it back in the team if his form allows.
Del Piero scored three of the four goals Juventus scored in beating Real Madrid home and away in the Champions League.
Lippi also left Del Piero out for 11 months during qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, but he was in the team that won the trophy in Berlin.
"He will stay at home because he's someone I already know a lot about," he had said. "I want to freshen up the team and have a look at some new players, discover some new people."
Lippi named one new face to his 22-man squad to face Greece in Wednesday's friendly by calling up Udinese midfielder Gaetano D'Agostino.
While Giuseppe Rossi, Cristian Maggio and Simone Pepe all keep their place after their first call-up last month.
Italy squad:
Goalkeepers: Gianluca Curci (Siena), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray)
Defenders: Daniele Bonera (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus)
Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Gaetano D'Agostino (Udinese), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Simone Perrotta (AS Roma)
Forwards: Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich)
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Del Piero's omission was no surprise as Lippi had said recently that he wanted to test new players in friendlies, and that he told Del Piero he could make it back in the team if his form allows.
Del Piero scored three of the four goals Juventus scored in beating Real Madrid home and away in the Champions League.
Lippi also left Del Piero out for 11 months during qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, but he was in the team that won the trophy in Berlin.
"He will stay at home because he's someone I already know a lot about," he had said. "I want to freshen up the team and have a look at some new players, discover some new people."
Lippi named one new face to his 22-man squad to face Greece in Wednesday's friendly by calling up Udinese midfielder Gaetano D'Agostino.
While Giuseppe Rossi, Cristian Maggio and Simone Pepe all keep their place after their first call-up last month.
Italy squad:
Goalkeepers: Gianluca Curci (Siena), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray)
Defenders: Daniele Bonera (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus)
Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Gaetano D'Agostino (Udinese), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Simone Perrotta (AS Roma)
Forwards: Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich)
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