Lippi to count on his veterans

You are only as old as you feel, Gianluca Zambrotta appeared to be saying when he addressed the media as Italy's world champions gathered to prepare for the World Cup. Zambrotta is known among his teammates for his careful, time-consuming attention to personal grooming and the studious application of skin creams.

If his face wore more wrinkles than an average 33-year-old, he would evidently be letting himself down. It does not. But it is the body that counts. Zambrotta, 33, remains first-choice at right-back for Italy, the position he filled during the victorious 2006 World Cup campaign. It is a demanding role in the modern game, and one at which Zambrotta, who began his career as an orthodox winger before being shifted to left-back, ingeniously, at Juventus, has mostly excelled.

His two-footedness has been an asset, his professionalism admired at Juve, at Barcelona, where he played between 2006 and 2008, and more recently at AC Milan, where he started 19 Serie A games - half the possible total - last season. His absences were mostly related to strains and injuries, which he has collected more often in the last 12 months than in any of his other seasons in top-flight football.

"I don't feel old," said Zambrotta in reply to what has become the standard first line of questioning at Italy get-togethers. "And I don't think any of my colleagues does either. We feel full of desire to make this World Cup another great one and go a long way in the tournament." If Zambrotta stays fit, and zips up and down his flank like he can do at his best, he might even eye an important milestone for the Azzurri.

Eight more caps and he will have reached a century for his country. So if he plays in friendlies against Mexico and Switzerland, and Italy reach the semi-finals, then he could join Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro as a modern Italian centurion before the middle of July. Cannavaro is 36 and will captain Italy in South Africa. He is admired by his head coach Marcello Lippi for his leadership and remains a model even for those who have accompanied him for most of his journey to a record number - 132 - of Azzurri appearances.

"Remember Cannavaro won a World Cup at 33," said Zambrotta (a little inaccurately as his captain was 32 years and 10 months old when he lifted the trophy in Berlin), "and then he was winner of the Balon D'Or and Fifa World Player of the Year. "I'm that age now. Why should I feel old? There are nine of us from the 2006 squad who might be going to this World Cup, which is about the right number I think.

"In any squad you need a mix of young players with a lot of enthusiasm and those with experience. And we have the experience of having brought home a World Cup." In fact, the average age of the 28 men preselected by Lippi is not startlingly high: It is less than 26, and a younger average than if you apply the calculation to the shortlisted parties of Brazil, England, Holland, Argentina and France, to name some of the other heavyweights.

The absences of Alessandro Nesta - whom Lippi wanted to recall from international retirement - of Francesco Totti - not selected, despite his willingness to 'unretire' - and of Alessandro Del Piero - unwanted by Lippi - help to lower the age, but don't expect the XI Lippi names to take on Paraguay in Cape Town on June 16 to look boyish. The spine of his preferred side is formed by Buffon, Cannavaro, Andrea Pirlo and Antonio De Natale, the youngest of them 31.

If Lippi's loyalty ignores age, the suspicion is that it also ignores form. His three most important defensive players, Buffon, Cannavaro and Giogio Chiellini are all Juventus footballers, coming out a season in which their club has defended very poorly at times, struggled in Serie A and been humiliated in Europe, first by Bayern Munich and then by Fulham. Neither Pirlo nor Rino Gattuso have had vintage seasons in midfield for Milan and should they both start for Italy, will need the supplementary urgency of Roma's Daniele De Rossi beside them.

Up front, Di Natale's volume of goals for Udinese last season - he was Serie A's leading scorer - argue for his starting place, even at 32 years old. Who partners him remains an open question. Alberto di Gilardino and Vicenzo Iaquinta were both in the world champion squad for years ago. That, for Lippi, counts strongly in their favour. sports@thenational.ae