FLORENCE, ITALY – The Italy forward Giuseppe Rossi was among the players cut from the Azzurri’s final World Cup squad. Coach Cesare Prandelli apparently judged that Rossi hadn’t fully recovered from his latest right knee injury in January.
Rossi led Serie A with 14 goals in 17 matches with Fiorentina, he has always been one of Prandelli’s favorite players, but the coach opted not to gamble on his fitness despite the forward having been the Italian league’s leading scorer before getting injured.
Rossi was also one of the final cuts by then-coach Marcello Lippi in 2010, although Lippi said last week that he regretted that decision.
Also cut from Prandelli’s 30-man preliminary squad were: forward Mattia Destro, Riccardo Montolivo and Andrea Ranocchia.
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