Rossi the only doubt for Prandelli's home debut

Italy will be looking to claim maximum points at home against the Faroe Islands in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying Group C, but their visitors were by no means pushovers when the sides were pooled together on the road to UEFA EURO 2008.

Team news
• Giuseppe Rossi is struggling to shake off an ankle injury but Cesare Prandelli has an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from. Emiliano Viviano is pushing for a starting berth in place of Salvatore Sirigu but Prandelli is not expected to make any further changes to the team that beat Estonia 2-1 on Friday.

• "I'm reading the newspapers and they say that I am the leader now," said Antonio Cassano, who scored the equaliser in Tallinn. "But I think people like Giorgio Chiellini, and especially Daniele De Rossi, are the leaders. I changed in Genoa, thanks to my wife and Sampdoria's staff, but should I make another mistake please forgive me."

• Italy squad
Goalkeepers: Antonio Mirante (Parma FC), Salvatore Sirigu (US Città di Palermo), Emiliano Viviano (Bologna FC)
Defenders: Luca Antonelli (Parma FC), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Cesare Bovo (US Città di Palermo), Mattia Cassani (US Città di Palermo), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Lorenzo De Silvestri (ACF Fiorentina), Daniele Gastaldello (UC Sampdoria), Cristian Molinaro (VfB Stuttgart)
Midfielders: Luca Cigarini (Sevilla FC), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Andrea Lazzari (Cagliari Calcio), Riccardo Montolivo (ACF Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (UC Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
Forwards: Antonio Cassano (UC Sampdoria), Alberto Gilardino (ACF Fiorentina), Giampaolo Pazzini (UC Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Juventus), Fabio Quagliarella (Juventus), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal CF)

• Brian Kerr travels to Florence with the same squad that lost 3-0 to Serbia, though the uncapped Pól Jóhannus Justinussen is back at his disposal after missing Friday’s game through suspension.

Faroe Islands squad
Goalkeepers: Gunnar Nielsen (Tranmere Rovers FC), Tórdur Thomsen (HB Tórshavn)
Defenders: Johan Troest Davidsen (NSÍ Runavík), Einar Hansen (NSÍ Runavík), Jónas Tór Næs (B36 Tórshavn), Hendrik Rubeksen (HB Tórshavn), Atli Gregersen (Ross County FC), Egil á Bø (EB/Streymur), Pól Jóhannus Justinussen (B68 Toftir), Bartal Eliasen (ÍF Fuglafjørður)
Midfielders: Bogi Løkin (NSÍ Runavík), Jann Ingi Petersen (NSÍ Runavík), Jústinus R. Hansen (NSÍ Runavík), Fródi Benjaminsen (HB Tórshavn), Símun Samuelsen (HB Tórshavn), Daniel Udsen (EB/Streymur), Christian L. Holst (Silkeborg IF)
Forwards: Jóan Símun Edmundsson (Newcastle United FC), Christian R. Mouritsen (B36 Tórshavn), Arnbjørn Hansen (EB/Streymur)

Match background
• Italy's record in two games against the Faroe Islands reads W2 D0 L0 (W1 D0 L0 at home).

• The teams first came together in Torshavn on 2 June 2007, when Italy secured a 2-1 victory courtesy of a Filippo Inzaghi double, with Rógvi Jacobsen pulling one back for the home side 13 minutes from time.

• The sequence of events was similar in the return match at the Stadio Alberto Braglia five months later. Fródi Benjaminsen's own goal gifted Italy an early lead and the Azzurri struck twice more before the break through Luca Toni and Giorgio Chiellini, before Jacobsen hit another late Faroese response.