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BERBATOV HAPPY BUFFON IS OUT
Berbatov - confident of success.
Bulgaria captain Dimitar Berbatov feels the absence of Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon may give his side the edge in their World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
The Juventus stopper is one of a host of players out injured for the reigning world champions.
"I am really happy that Buffon is not playing," said Berbatov. "Not just myself but all my team-mates.
"He is the symbol of Italy, the strongest goalkeeper in the world. I really believe we have been fortunate."
The Manchester United striker has himself recovered from a back injury sustained in training this week and is ready to lead his team this weekend.
Italy top Group Eight with six points, two more than the Republic of Ireland, after victories against Cyprus and Georgia last month, while Bulgaria have drawn their only game so far in Montenegro.
Despite the setbacks encountered by the Azzurri due to numerous injury absentees - Buffon, Marco Materazzi, Nicola Legrottaglie, Marco Cassetti, Fabio Grosso, Andrea Pirlo, Mauro Camoranesi, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Marco Borriello - coach Marcello Lippi is upbeat about his team's chances heading into the encounter at Bulgaria and next week's clash against Montenegro.
"I am very confident," he said. "I am really satisfied with how the team has worked this week.
"The young players have adapted really well."
Pepe, who has shone for Udinese this campaign, is set to make his debut on Saturday in Sofia.
The Udinese player will replace injured Mauro Camoranesi on the right wing while Antonio Di Natale will take his place on the left.
Giorgio Chiellini will partner captain Fabio Cannavaro at the heart of defence while Palermo goalkeeper Marco Amelia will have the task of replacing Buffon.
Bulgaria boss Plamen Markov has handed a late call-up to CSKA Sofia defender Kiril Kotev for the match and the game with Georgia on Wednesday.
In Group Eight's other game, Georgia will return to Tblisi after being forced to play their last qualifier at a neutral venue.
Georgia's home game against Ireland on September 6 was switched to the German city of Mainz after Tbilisi was deemed unsafe following fighting with Russia over the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter will attend their clash with Cyprus at the Lokomotivi Stadium after football's world governing body approved Georgia's return home last month.
"It shows that the situation has improved and allows for such international matches to take place once again in Georgia," Blatter said in a statement.
The hosts will hope a return to their capital city heralds a change in fortunes as they go in search of their first point of the campaign.
They lost their game to Ireland 2-1 before slumping to a 2-0 defeat against Italy and sit bottom of the Group Eight table.
Saturday's opponents Cyprus also lost to Italy in their only qualifier so far, 2-1, but it took an injury-time winner to deny them a shock point.
