Italy's AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo is upbeat over his chances of facing Slovakia.

Pirlo went into the World Cup carry a calf strain.

"I hope to play the third game against Slovakia, but we have to see how it goes day by day," the midfielder told Sky Italia television.

His teammates were given a free afternoon, but Pirlo continued training in a bid to recuperate from that left calf strain.

"It is better. This morning we did the scan and there is an improvement, so now we have to wait and hope.

"I don't feel pain any more and hope it doesn't come back. As of today, we can say things are going well."