Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has explained including Fiorentina striker Giuseppe Rossi in his provisional World Cup squad.
Rossi has been out for five months with a knee ligament injury.
"I brought him along for numerous reasons. He is a talent with great quality, one of the best in Italy. He is determined, hungry and made a thousand sacrifices to be here in the running for the World Cup.
"He is the proof that champions need to have character and he can set the example for everyone. Clearly, he has to be in good shape and that's what we want to see over the next 10 days.
"Even if Rossi doesn't make it into the 23, he has already won his battle. I don't want to put too much pressure on him or make him feel as if he's being checked every minute of the day. He is in to 30 and we want to figure out if his condition has improved compared to a few days ago."
