Road to Recovery

Or, maybe not.

Marcelo Lippi named his 23-man roster on Tuesday that included Camoranesi, a key figure from Italy's 2006 World Cup winning team.

But Lippi also dropped some hints that if Camoranesi isn't ready to go - the Juventus winger limped off the field during a training session on Tuesday after hurting his knee - that he could be replaced by Cagliari star Andrea Cossu.

"A 24th player could come to South Africa seeing the condition of Camoranesi. It could be Cossu," Lippi said.

Managers are allowed to make an injury replacement to their rosters 24 hours prior to playing their first World Cup game.

Cossu was one of five players cut from Lippi's preliminary squad but he will be called up for Italy's final two warm-up matches against Mexico (on Thursday) and Switzerland (on Saturday).

If Camoranesi isn't ready to play at the World Cup, Lippi has left the door open for Cossu to take his place.

As for now, Camoranesi is in a race against time.

"There is a slight sprain to the left knee with a suspected strain to the meniscus ligament, but the tests ruled out any tear or lesion," said Italian team doctor Enrico Castellacci.

"Camoranesi will be out for the two friendlies, but he can make it for Paraguay."

The potential loss of Camoranesi would be a bit of a blow for the Italians, as the Juventus star is the Azzurri's only legitimate winger who can provide width to the team's attack.

At 33 years old, he also brings experience to the side, having earned over 50 caps since making his national team debut in 2003.

Cossu, 30, has only one cap to his credit but he brings something else to the table: versatility.

The Cagliari protagonist can play either on the wing or in the hole behind the two strikers as a playmaker, which means he could provide cover for Andrea Pirlo.