Fresh players are starting to come through in the Italy team as the old stalwarts start to retire one by one. This World Cup will be the first time in a good number of years that we haven't seen players like Del Piero pull on the Italy shirtand lead the team from the front. Now is a time for other players to come through an for them to make their name. However Italy coach Marcello Lippi is still hoping to have at least one of his old guns there in the form of Allessandro Nesta.

Nesta retired from international football after the World Cup in 2006, which Italy won, and has restated that he has no plans to come out of international retirement for this World Cup as he doesn't want to put his fitness at risk and he thinks it is only fair that the players who pulled on the Italy soccer jerseyin qualification keep their place in the squad. Lippi however has said that he hoped to persuade the AC Milan defender to change his mind before the start of the tournament.

There is also some speculation at the moment that Francesco Totti is planning to come out of international retirement for Italy which would be a huge boost for the squad if they can keep him fit and if he can recreate some of the form he has shown over the years for both club and country.