Del Piero may have to wait

Totti and Inzaghi may be preferred to Del Piero (right)

Italy are set to begin their tournament against Turkey in Arnhem on Sunday with talented Juventus forward Alessandro Del Piero left on the bench.

Coach Dino Zoff refused to name his team after Saturday's training session.

But reporters came away with the impression that Del Piero's clubmate Filippo Inzaghi would partner Roma's Francesco Totti at the start of the game.

The Italians are missing several key players, including world transfer record striker Christian Vieri, and first choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Turkey v Italy

Seven previous meetings, Italy winning six and drawing the other.

They met in qualifying for the 1964 European Championships, Italy winning their home leg 6-0 in Bologna.

Italy won their last meeting too, a 3-1 win in Pescara in December 1994.

But defender Alessandro Nesta has assured Zoff that he will be available after shrugging off a training ground injury.

Zoff refused to name his team to prevent the media criticising his choice ahead of time.

In a previous game, when he left out Totti, he was criticised by the Italian press for the devision, even before the match.

But reporters watching the training session in the Gelredome saw Del Piero line up against Totti and Inzaghi, whose side was almost identical to the one which lost 1-0 to Norway last weekend.

They never boot the ball away - they always prefer to play it instead - they're very good players

Italian defender Alessandro Nesta on Turkey

Goalkeeper Francesco Toldo was the only change from the game which saw Buffon's tournament hopes wrecked by injury.

When asked directly about the two practice teams Zoff refused to confirm journalistic suspicions

"I don't think these line-ups are that important for what happens tomorrow," he said.

Del Piero's question

A relaxed Del Piero joked about the situation.

Former Turkey coach Fatih Terim has said that the one thing Turkey needed to do was mark the Juve star at all times.

"So who's going to mark me on the bench?" asked Del Piero, who believes he will get his chance later in the tournament.

Italian team officials said indications were that Italian fans would be heavily outnumbered by Turkish supporters in the 30,000 seat stadium.

The game pits one of Europe's most successful sides against a country which failed to win a single point at its only previous tournament, Euro 96.

Hakan Sukur is the Turks' main source of goals

But Turkish football has improved to the extent that the country enjoyed more success in club competitions than the giants of Italy's Serie A last season.

The national side relies heavily on the Galatasaray side which won the Uefa Cup, with striker Hakan Sukur a feared marksman at club and international level.

Umit Davala operates on the right side of the defence, Sergen and Okan run the midfield, while Arif carry a serious threat in attack.

National coach Mustafa Denizli himself spent four years in charge of the Istanbul club, and was delighted with their Uefa Cup win.

"It is a victory for all the people in the four corners of the country," he said.

"The players have given a boost to our country."