Pirlo returns for Euro 2012 qualifiers

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has recalled AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo to his squad for next month’s Euro 2012 qualifiers against Estonia and Faroe Islands.

But the squad does not feature a single player from Inter Milan, the reiging Serie A and Champions League title holders.

Pirlo was injured for Prandelli’s debut on the bench earlier this month in a 1-0 friendly defeat against Ivory Coast in London.

With first choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Cagliari’s Federico Marchetti still injured, Parma’s Antonio Mirante has been called up to join Palermo’s Salvatore Sirigu and Emiliano Viviano of Bologna.

Forwards Mario Balotelli of Manchester City and Juventus’s Amauri miss out with injury with Alberto Gilardino and Giampaolo Pazzini, who both played for Prandelli during his Fiorentina days, recalled.

Prandelli made the most changes in defence with the uncapped foursome of Luca Antonelli of Parma, Palermo’s Cesare Bovo, Lorenzo De Silvestri of Fiorentina and Sampdoria’s Daniele Gastaldello all added to the squad.

Italian champions Inter Milan do not provide a single player in the squad while their neighbours Milan only have one – Pirlo.

Juventus are the most represented with five players followed by Sampdoria with four and both Palermo and Fiorentina with three each.

Prandelli has picked just two players who play outside Italy, Villarreal’s Giuseppe Rossi and Cristian Molinaro of Stuttgart.

They play away to Estonia on September 3 before hosting the Faroes on September 7 in Florence.

Italy squad:

Goalkeepers: Antonio Mirante (Parma), Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo), Emiliano Viviano (Bologna)

Defenders: Luca Antonelli (Parma), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Cesare Bovo (Palermo), Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Fiorentina), Daniele Gastaldello (Sampdoria), Cristian Molinaro (Stuttgart)

Midfielders: Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Andrea Lazzari (Cagliari), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Simone Pepe (Juventus)

Attackers: Antonio Cassano (Sampdoria), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Fabio Quagliarella (Juventus), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal/ESP)