Toni issues Italy rallying cry

Having stumbled at the start of their UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying campaign, Italy are striving to rediscover their FIFA World Cup-winning form against Ukraine in Rome on Saturday.

'Hunger to win'
Roberto Donadoni's team drew their opening Group B game 1-1 against Lithuania before France exacted a degree of revenge for their loss in Berlin by defeating the Azzurri 3-1 in Paris last month. Italy also met Ukraine in the World Cup, winning a quarter-final 3-0 in Hamburg largely thanks to Luca Toni's two goals. The ACF Fiorentina striker said: "The first two matches didn't go well and now we really need to get three points - we have to go out there and win at all costs. We won the World Cup and it is impossible to imagine us not being at the [UEFA] European Championship. We still have the hunger to win."

Totti resting
Donadoni, who replaced Marcello Lippi in July, has 18 of the squad that triumphed in Germany available for the game at the Stadio Olimpico - which was yesterday awarded the 2009 UEFA Champions League final. AS Roma captain Francesco Totti has taken a break from the national side as he attempts to regain full fitness but Alessandro Del Piero, playing in Serie B with Juventus, returns along with Toni. In defence, injury to Fabio Grosso means Gianluca Zambrotta of FC Barcelona is likely to switch flanks to left-back.

Blokhin confident
Italy lie sixth out of seven teams with one point from two matches, five points behind joint-leaders France and Scotland. Ukraine also have maximum points after overcoming Georgia 3-2 in their only qualifier to date. Coach Oleh Blokhin, who fears Andriy Shevchenko - running a temperature - could join FC Dynamo Kyiv duo Serhiy Rebrov and Ruslan Rotan on the sidelines, said: "Although Italy are strong, we can take them on. Our 3-0 defeat at the World Cup does not reflect our relative strengths."