European Football

Buffon and Camoranesi out of Italy qualifiers

13:27 BST, Tue 7 Oct 2008
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Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon saves a penalty from Romania's Adrian Mutu during their Group C Euro 2008 soccer match at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, June 13, 2008. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich (Switzerland)

MILAN, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and winger Mauro Camoranesi have been ruled out of this month's World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Montenegro through injury.

Coach Marcello Lippi told reporters on Tuesday that Buffon would be replaced in the squad by Siena goalkeeper Gianluca Curci but that he would not call up anyone else.

"It is a period in which we have lots of injuries. It happens," Lippi said. Buffon's place in the starting lineup is likely to go to Palermo's Marco Amelia.

The world champions, already without a number of top players including Andrea Pirlo and Marco Materazzi, face Bulgaria in Sofia in Group Eight on Saturday before hosting Montenegro in Lecce on Oct. 15.

Buffon will be out for around a month with a muscle tear in his right leg and will almost certainly miss Juventus's Champions League Group H match with Real Madrid on Oct. 21.

Juve team mate Camoranesi also has a right leg injury with team doctor Enrico Castellacci expecting him to be out for 15-20 days.

Lippi, whose side were slightly fortunate to beat Cyprus and Georgia in their opening qualifiers in September, is also without Lyon defender Fabio Grosso and Juve pair Nicola Legrottaglie and Vincenzo Iaquinta through injury.

On Sunday he called up four uncapped players -- Giuseppe Rossi, Simone Pepe, Christian Maggio and Fabiano Santacroce -- but left out Juve striker Alessandro Del Piero.

Buffon and Camoranesi were also named in Sunday's squad despite worries over their fitness. 

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