Italy opens its World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign in Cyprus on Saturday with 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro back after the injury that put him out of Euro 2008.
World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi, who is back in his second stint at the helm after replacing Roberto Donadoni, will be hoping the inspirational skipper restores the confidence of the Italian defence.
The traditionally impregnable back line, which conceded just one goal from open play at the World Cup, was leaky at Euro 2008 and let in two goals in a 2-2 friendly draw against Austria last month, Lippi's first match back.
''I'm ready,'' said Cannavaro, who will play his first competitive match since tearing ankle ligaments in a training clash with Juventus's Giorgio Chiellini just before Euro 2008.
Cannavaro, whose leadership was badly missed during Italy's disappointing Euro bid, said he could have played in Real Madrid's 2-1 defeat at Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday but Real coach Bernd Schuster opted for players who had more football in their legs.
Fiorentina defender Alessandro Gamberini, Cannavaro's replacement in the Euro 2008 squad, looks set to partner him against Cyprus with AC Milan's Gianluca Zambrotta at right back and Lyon's Fabio Gross on the other side.
In-form Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi is set to be joined in the centre of the park by AC Milan pair Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo.
That would leave Lippi scope to play his favoured three-man attack with on-fire Udinese winger Antonio Di Natale on the left, Juve's Mauro Camoranesi on the right, and either Luca Toni of Bayern Munich or Fiorentina's Alberto Gilardino leading the line.
Gilardino, who was overlooked for Euro 2008, came back in for an injured Toni against Austria and nabbed a scrambled goal that helped spare Italy's blushes after they went 2-0 down.
If selected, Toni will be looking to return to form after Euro 2008, where his loss of goal touch was a major factor in Italy's failure to progress beyond the quarter-finals.
''I suffered because I didn't manage to score a single goal,'' Toni said Thursday.
But he rejected the suggestion that he was to blame for Donadoni's departure.
''I don't think I'm that important,'' he said.
Lippi has warned the Azzurri not to underestimate the Cypriots.
''They play well and we'll face them on a field without much grass. We'll have to be careful,'' he told a press conference earlier this week.
After Cyprus, Italy hosts Georgia in Udine on September 10. The other teams in Italy's group are Ireland, Bulgaria and Montenegro.
Possible teams for Saturday's match:
Cyprus: Antonis Georgallides, Alexis Yarpozis, Elias Charalambous, Paraskevas Christou, Andreas Constantinou, Chryssis Michael, Stelios Okkarides, Constantinos Charalambides, Constantinos Makrides, Stathis Aloneftis, Ioannis Okkas.
Italy: Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Gamberini, Fabio Grosso, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi, Mauro Camoranesi, Luca Toni, Antonio Di Natale.
Referee: Pieter Vink (Netherlands)
