Juventus defender Fabio Grosso and Udinese midfielder Antonio Candreva have been cut from the Italy squad for the World Cup as coach Marcello Lippi reduced his 30-man provisional group to 28.
The 32-year-old Grosso was a pivotal player for Italy four years ago, scoring the decisive first goal against Germany in the semi-final and then the winning spot-kick in the penalty shootout against France in the final.
Grosso returned to Italy last summer after two years with French club Lyon.
Candreva made his debut with the Azzurri last November in a friendly against Holland.
The 23-year-old, who played alongside Grosso while at Juve last season, has made just one appearance for Italy since then.
Lippi will further reduce his squad to the final 23 by June 1.
Italy will train in Sestriere from Sunday onwards.
The Azzurri will play two friendly internationals against Mexico on June 3 in Brussels and against Switzerland two days later in Geneva as they round off their World Cup preparations ahead of this summer's finals in South Africa.
Italy squad: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari), Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo); Gianluca Zambrotta (Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa); Andrea Pirlo (Milan), Gennaro Gattuso (Milan), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Cossu (Cagliari), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Simone Pepe (Udinese); Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Marco Borriello (Milan), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria)
Source: PA
