Soccer: Lippi in Dutch test
Candreva, Palladino come in for World Cup assessment
13 November, 16:52
(ANSA) - Pescara, November 13 - Italy coach
Marcello Lippi is using Saturday's friendly against Netherlands
to look at a couple of players who could join his World Cup
winning stalwarts when the Azzurri defend their crown in South
Africa next year.Lippi has said his mind is made up about most of the squad but a handful of players have a chance of joining them.
The Netherlands test in Pescara, and Wednesday's game against Sweden in Cesena, will help him make up his mind, he said.
"Of the two, Saturday's game with Holland is the more interesting, even more so with newcomers," he said before handing Livorno midfielder Antonio Candreva his first cap and Genoa winger Raffaele Palladino his first start since the term of Lippi's predecessor Roberto Donadoni.
Italy are itching to avenge a 3-0 loss to the Dutch at Euro 2008 and Lippi admitted he was "sorry" injuries prevented him from fielding heavyweights like Daniele De Rossi, hospitalised with kidney stones, Gennaro Guttuso and Vincenzo Iaquinta.
But he thinks Candreva and Palladino can slot into a 4-3-3 system he has been trying out in training.
Candreva, 22, will take one side of a three-man midfield alongside Andrea Pirlo and with Angelo Palombo on the other flank.
Palladino, 25, will start up front with Mauro Camoranesi and Alberto Gilardino.
The Genoa man, who struggled with injury before this season, is determined to make the most of his second chance.
"I want to give it my all," he said Friday.
Although they have little or no senior experience, Candreva and Palladino are not rookies at international level.
The Livorno midfielder played four times for Italy's Under-21 side while Palladino played 15 Under-21 matches before earning two senior caps under Donadoni. Gianluigi Buffon, earning his 100th cap, will be in goal behind Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro, Giorgio Chiellini and Fabio Grosso.
Buffon, 31, has recovered from a fever and said Friday 100 caps was an "important" milestone.
"When Italy stops calling on me I'll be very, very close to hanging up my boots," he added.
photo: Candreva before Under-21 European championship semi-final against Germany in June
