Italy provisional World Cup squad announced, heavy on Juventus players

Italy began their World Cup preparations by announcing a provisional 30-man roster on Tuesday. Head coach Cesare Prandelli has selected a squad full of experienced players, as two have over 100 international caps, while another seven have at least 30.

Juventus leads the way with six players named to the provision roster, including national team mainstays Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo. They are joined by national team regulars Danielle De Rossi, Riccardo Montolivo and Christian Maggio.

Several young stars will get a chance to make an impact as well for the Italians, including Mario Balotelli, Giuseppe Rossi, Macro Veratti and Lorenzo Isingne.

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Mattia Perin (Genoa), Slavatore Sirigu (Paris Saint Germain).

Defenders: Ignazio Abate (Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Mattia De Sciglio (Milan), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gabriel Paletta (Parma), Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter).

Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Danielle De Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint Germain), Marco Parolo (Parma), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Romulo (Verona), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain).

Strikers: Mario Balotelli (Milan), Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Mattia Destro (Roma), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Fiorentina).