AC Milan striker Pippo Inzaghi is back in Italy's ranks on the back of his match-winning exploits in Milan's Champions League Final against Liverpool.
On Monday Inzaghi, a two-goal hero in Athens on Wednesday, claimed a place in the squad for Italy's two crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers away to Far Oer on Saturday and away to Lithuania the following Wednesday.
The last time Inzaghi was named for Italy was for two wins against Ukraine and Georgia in October which started to put Italy's Euro 2008 campaign back on track after a home draw against Lithuania and an away loss to France.
Inzaghi's last goal for Italy, his 23rd in 53 matches, was in the 1-1 draw against Lithuania. He is Italy's eighth-top scorer of all time.
His two goals against Liverpool made him the 3rd-deadliest European striker of all time with 58 goals.
Inzaghi's most important recent goal for the Azzurri was a typically poached match-clincher against the Czech Republic, Italy's toughest group opponent at last year's World Cup, which they went on to win.
With the top teams in Euro group B winning consistently, Italy is still only fourth, two points behind joint leaders Ukraine, Scotland and France, despite a 2-0 win against Scotland at the end of March.
The leading trio have 12 points (though Scotland has played once more than the other teams). Italy has ten, Georgia six and Lithuania four.
Italy's leading striker Luca Toni scored both goals against Scotland but is unavailable for Far Oer and Lithuania because of injury.
If he gets the nod ahead of Lazio's in-form Tommaso Rocchi, Inzaghi is expected to team up with Juventus's Alessandro Del Piero and Udinese's Antonio Di Natale.
The top two teams of the seven qualifying groups, plus the two hosts, go through to the finals in Austria and Switzerland next June.
Apart from Inzaghi and Fiorentina defender Alessandro Gamberini, coach Roberto Donadoni's squad was unchanged from the Scotland match.
Here it is:
Goalkeepers: Abbiati (Torino), Amelia (Livorno), Buffon (Juventus).
Defenders: Barzagli (Palermo), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Gamberini (Fiorentina), Materazzi (Inter), Oddo (Milan), Pasqual (Fiorentina), Tonetto (Roma), Zambrotta (Barcellona).
Midfielders: Ambrosini (Milan), De Rossi (Roma), Diana (Palermo) Gattuso (Milan), Perrotta (Roma), Pirlo (Milan).
Forwards: Del Piero (Juventus), Di Natale (Udinese), Inzaghi (Milan), Lucarelli (Livorno), Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Rocchi (Lazio).
