No Del Piero and no surprises in Italy squad

ROME, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Striker Alessandro Del Piero was again overlooked by Marcello Lippi on Saturday when the Italy coach named a squad with no surprises for Tuesday’s friendly against Brazil in London (1945 GMT).

The 34-year-old Juventus forward, top scorer in Serie A last term and in decent form this season, picked up the last of his 91 caps against Georgia in September.

Lippi has since said he wants to try other options up front but has not closed the door on Del Piero.

There were also no places in the squad for Francesco Totti and Paolo Maldini, who are both retired from international football but had expressed interest in a call-up.

AC Milan’s Maldini, 40, retires from all football at the end of the season and has said that a final Italy cap to go with his record haul of 126 would be a nice send-off.

With World Cup qualfiers against Montenegro and Ireland in March and April, Lippi may wait until a possible friendly date in June to grant Maldini his wish.

AS Roma striker Totti, who quit the national side after the 2006 World Cup triumph under Lippi, had vaguely hinted that he would accept a call-up if it came.

Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Alberto Aquilani, Antonio Di Natale and Gianluca Zambrotta all return from injury for the clash at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium having missed November’s 1-1 friendly draw in Greece.

Juventus midfielder Mauro Camoranesi was also included despite recent injury problems.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Palermo), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray)

Defenders: Daniele Bonera (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Olympique Lyon), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Gianluca Zambrotta (Milan)

Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (AS Roma), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Simone Perrotta (Roma), Andrea Pirlo (Milan)

Forwards: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich)