Italy national team coach Marcello Lippi has called up four new faces for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, including Napoli pair Fabiano Santacroce and Christian Maggio.

Lippi has made widespread changes, and it seems that he has now bowed down to the nation’s wishes, and injected youth into the squad.

Alessandro Del Piero is dropped, as is Andrea Barzagli, while Andrea Pirlo, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Marco Materazzi, Nicola Legrottaglie, Marco Cassetti, Fabio Grosso and Angelo Palombo are all injured.

Lippi has called up four fresh faces including Napoli pair Maggio and Santacroce, the latter who is regarded by some as the “new Alessandro Nesta”.

Villarreal’s Giuseppe Rossi graduates from the Italy Under-21s, while Udinese forward Simone Pepe gets his debut call.

Riccardo Montolivo, Daniele Bonera and Antonio Nocerino all return, but there is still no place for Antonio Cassano despite his wonder goal today against Atalanta.

Italy, who are top of Group 8 with a maximum of six points, take on Bulgaria in Sofia on October 11 before hosting Montenegro the following Wednesday in Lecce.

Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), Amelia (Palermo), De Sanctis (Galatasaray)

Defenders: Bonera (Milan), Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Chiellini (Juventus), Dossena (Liverpool), Gamberini (Fiorentina), Santacroce (Napoli), Zambrotta (Milan)

Midfielders: Aquilani (Roma), Camoranesi (Juventus), De Rossi (Roma), Gattuso (Milan), Maggio (Napoli), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Nocerino (Palermo), Perrotta (Roma)

Forwards: Di Natale (Udinese), Gilardino (Fiorentina), Pepe (Udinese), G Rossi (Villareal), Toni (Bayern Munich).