Salvatore Bocchetti, Giampaolo Pazzini and Marco Motta have been named in the Italy squad.
Bocchetti, Pazzini and Motta included in Italy squad
Salvatore Bocchetti, Giampaolo Pazzini and Marco Motta have been named in the Italy squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Republic of Ireland.
The inclusion of Bocchetti is the biggest surprise as the 22-year-old defender has not been a permanent fixture of the Genoa side this season.
Sampdoria striker Pazzini and Roma right-back Motta have also been selected for the first time by boss Marcello Lippi after a number of players were ruled out through injury.
World Cup winners Luca Toni, Alberto Gilardino, Gennaro Gattuso, Mauro Camoranesi and Simone Perrotta are all out along with defenders Daniele Bonera and Nicola Legrottaglie and Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani.
There is still plenty of experience in a 23-man squad but Alessandro Del Piero, Filippo Inzaghi and Antonio Cassano have all been overlooked.
Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena is the Premier League's sole representative in the squad.
Italy are currently level with Ireland on 10 points at the top of qualifying Group 8.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Marco Amelia (Palermo), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray).
Defenders: Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Marco Motta (Roma), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan).
Midfielders: Matteo Brighi (Roma), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Pasquale Foggia (Lazio), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (Milan).
Forwards: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal).
