Italy coach Cesare Prandelli named a 25-man squad ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Malta. The Azzurri face Bulgaria in Sofia on Friday before hosting Malta at the Stadio Alberto Braglia in Modena on Tuesday 11, kick-off at 20:45.

Prandelli included Under-21 international striker Lorenzo Insigne of Napoli but left out Marco Balotelli and Antonio Cassano.

Balotelli will be undergoing an eye surgery for recurring conjunctivitis. Chiellini and Montolivo are ruled out injured.

The players selected by Prandelli are:
goalkeepers BUFFON Gianluigi ? (Juventus), DE SANCTIS Morgan (Napoli), ?SIRIGU Salvatore (Paris St. Germain), ?VIVIANO Emiliano? (Fiorentina);
ASTORI Davide (Cagliari), BALZARETTI Federico (Roma), BARZAGLI Andrea (Juventus), BONUCCI Leonardo (Juventus), CASSANI Mattia (Fiorentina), MAGGIO Christian (Napoli), OGBONNA Angelo Obinze (Torino), PELUSO Federico (Atalanta);
midfielders ?DE ROSSI Daniele (Roma), ?DIAMANTI Alessandro (Bologna), ?GIACCHERINI Emanuele? (Juventus), MARCHISIO Claudio (Juventus), NOCERINO Antonio (Milan), PIRLO Andrea ?(Juventus), POLI Andrea (Sampdoria), ?VERRATTI Marco (Paris St. Germain), ?
forwards BORINI Fabio? (Liverpool), DESTRO Mattia? (Roma), GIOVINCO Sebastian (Juventus), INSIGNE Lorenzo (Napoli), OSVALDO Pablo Daniel? (Roma), PAZZINI Giampaolo (Milan).