Italy coach Marcello Lippi is not ruling out calling up Francesco Totti after the AS Roma forward said he would be willing to come out of international retirement to play at next year's World Cup.
The 33-year-old took a break from the Azzurri after being part of Lippi's 2006 World Cup-winning team and subsequently made the move permanent, citing fitness problems.
"Totti is a great person and a great player," Lippi told reporters on Tuesday.
"I know there will be controversies (about selections) between now and June. I enjoy them, bring them on. I'm not excluding anything."
Totti, who has made a strong start to the season scoring six goals in Serie A, was quoted by Tuesday's La Gazzetta dello Sport as saying: "It depends on the coach's selections and how I am (physically). I owe him a lot."
Lippi suggested he had little doubt that Totti would come running if he called.
"Up to now, no one has ever said no to my national team," he said.
Lippi said he would change all 11 players in his starting line-up for Wednesday's final World Cup qualifier against Cyprus in Parma after his team booked their place in South Africa with a 2-2 draw in Ireland on Saturday.
Injured Gerrard to miss Belarus game
Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard has been ruled out of England's final World Cup qualifier against Belarus on Wednesday, manager Fabio Capello said on Tuesday.
Gerrard came off at halftime in Saturday's 1-0 defeat in Ukraine with a groin problem and withdrew from England's training session on Tuesday at their base north of London.
"He didn't finish training because the pain was the same as yesterday so he is going back to Liverpool," Capello told a televised news conference.
Capello said first-choice goalkeeper David James would have a fitness test on a knee problem on Wednesday. Robert Green is suspended after being sent off in Ukraine and Manchester United's Ben Foster has been added to the squad.
With striker Wayne Rooney ruled out due to a calf problem, Capello has the chance to experiment.
The Group Six game at Wembley has nothing riding on it because England have qualified and Belarus are out of the running.
Capello said central defender Rio Ferdinand would definitely play despite a dip in form for both club and country, but Terry said nobody's place was guaranteed.
"Even the players playing regularly feel under threat if we are not performing, the manager has shown himself strong enough to not select us," he said.
Capello has invited every player involved in the qualifying campaign to Wednesday's match.
"It is the family of the England team," the Italian said.
