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Only two months into the European football season and Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands are already limping into World Cup qualifying games, leaving behind long lists of injured stars.
Defending champions Italy go to Bulgaria with half the regular starting lineup sidelined while three-time winners Germany are struggling to find a fit and experienced goalkeeper after Robert Enke broke his hand in training.
Portugal, despite welcoming back Cristiano Ronaldo, have Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Maniche and Simao Sabrosa among absentees as they try to climb from an embarrassing fourth place in their group.
The Netherlands have six outfield players and a goalkeeper sidelined and have persuaded Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to come out of retirement.
With two rounds of games on Saturday and next Wednesday, this should be the time when the teams are at their strongest. Up to eight weeks of action in domestic and European competition has honed the players into match sharpness.
But so many stars are already sidelined through injury that the national coaches can’t field their strongest sides.
Marcello Lippi, who has returned to lead the team he guided to World Cup success in Berlin two years ago, is one of the worst hit.
Gianluigi Buffon, one of the world’s best goalkeepers, has been sidelined for several weeks and Lippi is also without Andrea Pirlo, Mauro Camoranesi, Fabio Grosso, Marco Materazzi and Vincenzo Iaquinta for Saturday’s game in Bulgaria.
Sounding as positive as he can, Lippi said it gave him the chance to use some new young talent, such as Giuseppe Rossi of Spanish club Villarreal.
“The injuries accelerated the new additions, but it’s not like I wouldn’t have done it without these problems,” said Lippi, whose team tops Group 8.
“In two years at the World Cup we won’t be any younger.”
The Bulgarians hope to take advantage.
“I’m happy Buffon isn’t playing. And I don’t think I’m the only one,” Bulgaria captain and Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov said.
“He’s Italy’s symbol, the strongest goalkeeper in the world. Let’s call ourselves lucky. I was expecting to see Toni and Del Piero, nobody was thinking about Giuseppe Rossi.”
Group 4 leaders Germany are likely to field an untried goalkeeper for Saturday’s game at home to Russia. With Enke out, coach Joachim Loew will start either Rene Adler of Bayer Leverkusen or Werder Bremen’s Tim Wiese as he hoped to make up for a 3-3 draw with Finland in his team’s last qualifying game.
“You must have respect for Russia,” Frings said. “Nobody considered Russia among the favourites at the European Championship but they ousted a very good team (Netherlands) and reached the semifinals, so that should be our warning signal.”
Ronaldo plays his first Group 1 game in Portugal colours since an ankle injury at the end of last season. But coach Carlos Queiroz takes his team to Sweden without four more key players as his team tries to revive form after a surprise 3-2 loss to Denmark despite being 2-1 ahead with a minute to go.
Even Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque has some injury scares although the European champions should be confident of winning at Estonia and Belgium and stay top of Group 5.
Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez says the Euro 2008 triumph, 44 years after Spain’s only other championship triumph, has given the players enormous confidence.
“Without a doubt, we all feel more appreciated, more important across the world. We just needed to win something,” Xavi said. “Myself, personally, I feel better prepared, stronger.”
England are another team on the climb after an impressive 4-1 Group 6 victory at Croatia, the team that stopped the English reaching the Euros by winning at Wembley.
Fabio Capello’s team leads the group and host Kazakhstan for the first time but captain John Terry may be sidelined with a back injury. Capello has again overlooked Michael Owen, despite the striker’s four goals for struggling Newcastle.
William Gallas has pulled out of France’s squad for Saturday’s Group 7 visit to Romania to join Lassana Diarra on the sidelines with Nicolas Anelka nursing a sore thigh.
The Netherlands host Iceland with a patched up defence, three forwards missing and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder wants to play after recovering from a knee injury although the Spanish club doesn’t want him risked and has asked coach Bert van Marwijk to leave him out.
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