Del Piero Returns for Italy as Zoff Shuffles Pack
ROME, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Alessandro Del Piero received his first
international call-up for a year on Monday when coach Dino Zoff shuffled his pack for Italy's final European championship qualifier against Belarus.
Del Piero, who missed almost all of last season with a knee injury and has not played for the Azzurri since October 10, was one of eight players drafted into the squad following Italy's shock 3-2 home defeat by Denmark last month.
His Juventus team mate Ciro Ferrara returns after 20 months in the wilderness with a broken leg and captain Paolo Maldini is back after missing the Danish debacle with a fractured toe.
Another two Juventus players -- Gianluca Pessotto and Gianluca Zambrotta -- return to the frame and Inter Milan's exciting winger Francesco Moriero is also given another chance.
Lazio defender Paolo Negro misses out after picking up an injury in his side's 4-4 draw with AC Milan on Sunday night while the experienced Diego Fuser and midfielder Giuliano
Giannichedda are both suspended.
Fiorentina striker Enrico Chiesa is dropped as are Lazio defenders Giuseppe Favalli and Giuseppe Pancaro. Christian Vieri will start in attack alongside Filippo Inzaghi for Saturday's match in Minsk while Del Piero is likely to come off the substitutes' bench.
Italy must take at least a point to be sure of topping group one and sealing a berth to next year's championships in Belgium and the Netherlands. If they lose, they will still probably qualify as the best placed runner-up from the nine qualifying groups.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Parma), Francesco Toldo (Fiorentina)
Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Parma), Alessandro Nesta (Lazio), Christian Panucci (Inter Milan), Ciro Ferrara (Juventus), Paolo Maldini (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Demetrio Albertini and Massimo Ambrosini (both AC Milan), Dino Baggio and Paolo Vanoli (both Parma), Antonio Conte, Gianluca Pessotto and Gianluca Zambrotta (all Juventus), Eusebio Di Francesco (AS Roma), Luigi Di
Biagio and Francesco Moriero (both Inter Milan)
Forwards: Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi (both Juventus), Francesco Totti and Vincenzo Montella (both AS Roma), Christian Vieri (Inter Milan)
