Italy reeling from Barzagli blow
Thursday, June 19, 2008
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Italy central defender Andrea Barzagli will miss the rest of the tournament after he sustained a knee injury in training though he will remain with the squad.
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Italy defender Andrea Barzagli will miss the rest of UEFA EURO 2008™ after suffering a knee injury in training.
Meniscus injury
The centre-back, who has agreed to join VfL Wolfsburg from US Città di Palermo this summer, ruptured the meniscus in his left knee in training at the Azzurri's Maria Enzersdorf base. Subsequent scans revealed that Barzagli requires an operation and will play no further part in the competition. Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro had sustained a serious ankle ligament injury on the first day of training at Maria Enzersdorf.
Defensive blow
Although the 27-year-old Barzagli was omitted for the Azzurri's last two Group C matches having started the 3-0 defeat by the Netherlands, his absence will be a blow to Roberto Donadoni nonetheless. The coach is left with Marco Materazzi and Alessandro Gamberini as cover for his first-choice centre-half pairing of Christian Panucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Like Cannavaro before him, Barzagli has decided to stay with the squad as they prepare to face Spain in Sunday's Vienna quarter-final. He will undergo surgery in Austria.