Barzagli and Balotelli injuries add to Italy woes
Reuters - Monday 04 June 2012, 16:30
Defender Andrea Barzagli
has added to Italy's mounting worries ahead of Euro 2012 by
being ruled out of the group phase and possibly the whole
tournament with a calf strain, the team doctor said on Monday.
Striker Mario Balotelli also quit training early with what
reports said was a knee or thigh problem which needed examining.
Centre-back Barzagli suffered his injury in Friday's woeful
3-0 friendly defeat by Russia.
"We could change a player 24 hours before the Euros. But we
will try to get him fit," Italy team doctor Enrico Castellacci
told Italian media a day before the squad jet off to their Euro
base in Krakow.
"We are confident he can recover but in any case he would
not be available in the first phase."
Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia, who was in the
provisional squad, could be called up if Italy decide not to
risk Juventus's Barzagli.
Italy's loss to Russia, where slapstick defending was to
blame for two of the goals, had led coach Cesare Prandelli to
ponder switching to three at the back but Barzagli's problem
changes the dynamic.
Prandelli has already had to do without left-back Domenico
Criscito after he was dropped when he was formally warned by
police that he was under investigation for match-fixing.
The wide-ranging scandal, the second big match-fixing affair
in Italy in six years, has cast a shadow over the Azzurri's
preparations for their Group C opener against holders Spain on
Sunday in Gdansk.