Italy v N Ireland preview
Worthington to take charge for final time in Italy
Last Updated: October 11, 2011 12:19pm
Nigel Worthington: Has announced that he is to leave Northern Ireland after the game with Italy
Nigel Worthington's four-year tenure as Northern Ireland's manager comes to an end at Italy in a Euro 2012 qualifier on Tuesday.
The 49-year-old has announced that he will step down after the fixture having seen his side fail to compete at the top of Group C.
The preparation for the fixture has been dominated by speculation over Worthington's successor, with Lawrie Sanchez, Iain Dowie and Martin O'Neill all rumoured to be in contention.
Northern Ireland are above the Faroe Islands but seven points off second-placed Estonia, who are poised to move through to the play-off stage of the qualification process.
The Green and Whites go in search of just their third win after beating the Faroe Islands and Slovenia but they also achieved a draw against Italy at Windsor Park.
After a disappointing World Cup in 2010, the Italians have sailed through the Euro 2012 qualification stages and have booked their place in next year's championship.
Team news
With the exception of 40-year-old goalkeeper Maik Taylor, Northern Ireland are expected to name a young side for the trip to Pescara.
Coventry captain Sammy Clingan (back) and West Brom winger Chris Brunt (ankle) have had to withdraw from the squad with their respective injuries.
They join Lee Camp and Grant McCann on the sidelines who were taken off in Saturday's home defeat to Estonia.
Ranger' striker Kyle Lafferty also picked up a booking in that game, making him unavailable for selection in Italy due to a suspension.
The game will not be the last for David Healy, as the country's all-time leading goalscorer has announced that he will not be retiring at the end of the season.
Italy are also intending to name a young side for the final group game, with diminutive Parma midfielder Sebastian Giovinco set to start.
Manager Cesare Prandelli has confirmed that Giovinco will play just behind experienced striker Antonio Cassano.
Despite being born in Argentina, Roma striker Pablo Osvaldo could make his senior debut for Italy having represented the country at Under-21 level.
Latest Poll
Tables
European Championship Qualifying Group A
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 10 | 30 |
| 2 | Turkey | 10 | 17 |
| 3 | Belgium | 10 | 15 |
| 4 | Austria | 10 | 12 |
| 5 | Azerbaijan | 10 | 7 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan | 10 | 4 |
European Championship Qualifying Group B
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 10 | 23 |
| 2 | Republic of Ireland | 10 | 21 |
| 3 | Armenia | 10 | 17 |
| 4 | Slovakia | 10 | 15 |
| 5 | Macedonia | 10 | 8 |
| 6 | Andorra | 10 | 0 |
European Championship Qualifying Group C
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 10 | 26 |
| 2 | Estonia | 10 | 16 |
| 3 | Serbia | 10 | 15 |
| 4 | Slovenia | 10 | 14 |
| 5 | Northern Ireland | 10 | 9 |
| 6 | Faroe Islands | 10 | 4 |
European Championship Qualifying Group D
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 10 | 21 |
| 2 | Bosnia | 10 | 20 |
| 3 | Romania | 10 | 14 |
| 4 | Belarus | 10 | 13 |
| 5 | Albania | 10 | 9 |
| 6 | Luxembourg | 10 | 4 |
European Championship Qualifying Group E
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 10 | 27 |
| 2 | Sweden | 10 | 24 |
| 3 | Hungary | 10 | 19 |
| 4 | Finland | 10 | 10 |
| 5 | Moldova | 10 | 9 |
| 6 | San Marino | 10 | 0 |
European Championship Qualifying Group F
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greece | 10 | 24 |
| 2 | Croatia | 10 | 22 |
| 3 | Israel | 10 | 16 |
| 4 | Latvia | 10 | 11 |
| 5 | Georgia | 10 | 10 |
| 6 | Malta | 10 | 1 |
European Championship Qualifying Group G
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 8 | 18 |
| 2 | Montenegro | 8 | 12 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 8 | 11 |
| 4 | Wales | 8 | 9 |
| 5 | Bulgaria | 8 | 5 |
European Championship Qualifying Group H
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | 8 | 19 |
| 2 | Portugal | 8 | 16 |
| 3 | Norway | 8 | 16 |
| 4 | Iceland | 8 | 4 |
| 5 | Cyprus | 8 | 2 |
European Championship Qualifying Group I
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 8 | 24 |
| 2 | Czech Republic | 8 | 13 |
| 3 | Scotland | 8 | 11 |
| 4 | Lithuania | 8 | 5 |
| 5 | Liechtenstein | 8 | 4 |
David Healy
