[Azzurri] Surprise comeback for Marchionni

Fiorentina midfielder Marco Marchionni has returned to the Italy squad after a three-year absence for next week's FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria.

Marchionni, who switched from Juventus during the close season, picked up his last of three caps in a 1-1 draw with Lithaunia in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying in September 2006.

Otherwise coach Marcello Lippi, whose side top qualifying Group Eight, has resisted making major changes for the match in Tbilisi next Saturday and the home meeting with Bulgaria in Turin on September 9.

Gennaro Gattuso has been ruled out of both matches after picking up an ankle injury in AC Milan's 4-0 defeat by Inter on Saturday, while Bayern Munich's Luca Toni and Fiorentina's Riccardo Montolivo are excluded.

With Genoa's Salvatore Bocchetti injured, Nicola Legrottaglie returns after being dropped for the goalless friendly draw in Switzerland earlier this month.

Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi is included despite being suspended for the trip to Georgia, but Sampdoria's Giampaolo Pazzini, also suspended for the first game, misses out.

Young players Federico Marchetti, Claudio Marchisio, Domenico Criscito and Davide Santon have all been retained from the Switzerland game.

There is still no place in the Azzurri squad for Sampdoria's Antonio Cassano while Brazilian-born Juventus striker Amauri is still waiting for an Italian passport.

Lippi's men lead their qualification group with 14 points from six matches, one point more than the second-placed Republic of Ireland with a game in hand.

Maximum points from the next two games, coupled with a loss for Ireland in Cyprus, will book the world champions' spot at next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

The squad will gather for training at the FIGC's Technical Centre in Coverciano on Monday night before travelling to Bulgaria on Friday.

Italy squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari).
Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Davide Santon (Inter), Gianluca Zambrotta (Milan).
Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Gaetano D'Agostino (Udinese), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Marco Marchionni (Fiorentina), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (Milan).
Forwards: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vicenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal).

Source: FIGC