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GILARDINO NAMED IN ITALY SQUAD
Gilardino - named in Italy's squad.
Italy coach Marcello Lippi has named Fiorentina forward Alberto Gilardino in his first squad since returning to the Azzurri bench, but there is no place for Sampdoria striker Antonio Cassano.
Lippi has also called up Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta, who like Gilardino missed Euro 2008, for Wednesday's friendly against Austria.
Former AC Milan striker Gilardino was left out of Italy's European Championship squad, while Iaquinta missed the tournament through injury.
Lippi has though left out controversial striker Cassano for his first match back in charge of the Azzurri since winning the World Cup in 2006 - a tournament for which Cassano also failed to make the cut.
Lippi has retained many of the veterans from his World Cup winning side, including Gianluca Zambrotta and Alessandro Del Piero.
Thirteen of his 20-man squad were part of the 2006 group.
Italy squad:
Marco Amelia (Palermo), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus); Andrea Barzagli (Wolfsburg), Daniel Bonera, Marco Cassetti (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan); Alberto Aquilani (Roma), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso, Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Perrotta (Roma), Andrea Pirlo (Milan); Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus).
