January 27, 1998
CarlingNet

Chelsea's Gianfranco Zola looks set to miss out on Italy's World Cup warm-up against Slovakia on Wednesday. 

Coach Cesare Maldini rings the changes for Italy's first pre-World Cup friendly with Alessandro Del Piero of Juventus leading the assault. 

Maldini is fulfilling a promise he made last November after Italy's laboured qualification for France '98, to inject new blood into a lacklustre side. 

The 1994 finalists squeezed home 2-1 on aggregate against Russia in the play-offs, with goals from Christian Vieri and Pierluigi Casiraghi, after England barred their way to France from Group 2. 

Now Maldini has to find the missing spark and flair that people here expect from the national side, someone who can do what Roberto Baggio did for Italy at the last World Cup finals in 1994. 

Maldini hopes he has found him in Del Piero, who scored twice in their thrilling 3-3 draw with Brazil in last year's Tournoi de France and who is currently the most prolific goalscorer in Italy. 

"Del Piero will play from the start for the first time,'' Maldini said. "He is on splendid form at the moment, but that comes as no surprise to me.'' 

Del Piero's strike partner at Juventus, Filippo Inzaghi, with whom he has rattled up 32 goals this season, will probably be on the substitutes' bench, along with Parma's Enrico Chiesa. 

The other man at the start should be Olympique Marseille's Fabrizio Ravanelli with Zola missing out. 

"It's a department which doesn't pose me any problems,'' said Maldini. "I haven't called up Zola, because he's not on particularly good form at the moment, and we reached a decision by mutual agreement. 

"Inzaghi, on the other hand, is back on top form and is over his lean period. Chiesa is also doing well. He can play on the flank, but has been called up here as a second striker. 

"And let's not forget Casiraghi and Vieri, who were decisive in our qualification for the finals, but who are not here because of injury.'' 

He also spared a thought for Vincenzo Montella, the most exciting striker in Italy not to be summoned. Sampdoria's young star scored 22 goals in 28 games last season and has already bagged another 13. 

"I know that some people would like me to have called up Montella,'' said Maldini. "And he's a young man that we're keeping an eye on. But we've got so many to choose from in this department.'' 

There are few openings in Italy's tried and tested midfield - with Demetrio Albertini working alongside Dino Baggio and Chelsea's Roberto Di Matteo - but Maldini is wary of the injury threat.

"If Albertini, Dino Baggio or Di Matteo ever have any problems, we don't have any sure-fire replacements, that's why it's my duty to try out others,'' he said.
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