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Italy defender Barzagli's Euro 2012 involvement in doubt with calf strain
Jun 4, 2012 3:14:00 PM
The 31-year-old has added to the Azzurri's defensive woes as he picked up an injury that will most likely rule him out of the team's group stage matches in Poland and Ukraine
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ITALY
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GROUP C
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Italy defender Andrea Barzagli is a serious doubt for Euro 2012 with a calf problem, team doctor Enrico Castellacci has revealed.
The Juventus defender, who played the entirety of Italy's 3-0 defeat against Russia on Friday, has picked up a calf strain that may see him miss up to 20 days of action.
This means that Barzagli will most likely not be able to play at the Euros before the semi-finals, should Italy reach that stage of the tournament.
"We will try everything to help Barzagli recover, he is worth it," Castellacci told reporters. "And if it is not possible for him to play in the group stage, we will try to get him available for the rest of the tournament."
It is still unknown whether coach Cesare Prandelli will call up a replacement or keep the 31-year-old in the squad for the latter stages of the competition, with a decision expected on Friday.
Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia is believed to be in pole position to fill in for Barzagli after featuring in Italy's provisional 25-man list for the Euros, which was later cut down to 23.
Barzagli, who has 29 Italy caps to his name, made 38 appearances for Juventus in 2011-12.
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