Palermo coach Walter Zenga says several of his players deserve Italy recognition - including Fabrizio Miccoli.

"He belongs in the Nazionale, as do his teammates [Mattia] Cassani and [Federico] Balzaretti," insisted Zenga.

"He knows he has a very slim chance of making it, but I tell him to keep working hard and playing with the same charisma, so the Coach cannot help but consider him."

Zenga was Italy's first choice goalkeeper for many years and stands up for under-fire Palermo shot-stopper Rubinho ahead of the trip to Lazio.

"Last season Genoa got excellent results in part because they had a strong goalkeeper like Rubinho. It's not just an error we need to look at, but what prompted the situation."