No place for Totti and Del Piero in Italy squad

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has surprisingly left Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero and Roma forward Francesco Totti out of his squad for Saturday's World Cup qualifier with Norway.

Del Piero has not featured for Italy since September but had been expected to make a return after his recent good form for champions Juventus.

Totti came back yesterday from a five-match suspension in Serie A and his absence from the Italy squad is a surprise decision by Lippi whose team lead European Group Five by four points from the Norwegians.

Inter striker Christian Vieri, who has made just one appearance under Lippi due to injury problems, is included in the 22-man squad along with Roma forward Antonio Cassano.

Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso is suspended.

Lippi's squad includes five players from Sicilian club Palermo, among them striker Luca Toni, but there is no debut call-up for Livorno forward Cristiano Lucarelli who finished the season as top scorer in Serie A with 24 goals.

The Squad

Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), Roma (Monaco).

Defenders: Barzagli (Palermo), Bonera (Parma), Cannavaro (Juventus), Chiellini (Fiorentina), Grosso (Palermo), Materazzi (Inter), Nesta (Milan), Zaccardo (Palermo)

Midfielders: Barone (Palermo), Blasi (Juventus), Camoranesi (Juventus), De Rossi (Roma), Diana (Sampdoria), Pirlo (Milan), Zambrotta (Juventus).

Forwards: Cassano (Roma), Esposito (Cagliari), Gilardino (Parma), Toni (Palermo), Vieri (Inter).