Rome: Impatient Italy fans must bide their time to find out if Francesco Totti will make a remarkable comeback at the World Cup, coach Marcello Lippi said yesterday, predicting a similar wait for news over his own future.
The Roma captain and striker, 33, retired from international football after Italy's 2006 World Cup triumph but has recently left the door open to a return if he is fully fit.
"Totti? Wait until May 11, when we need to send the list of 30 players to Fifa. You will see," Lippi told a news conference during a two-day Italy training camp in Rome. "I don't have plans to visit Roma but there is also the telephone. Or even e-mail," he smiled.
The provisional 30-man squad will be whittled down to 23 for the June 11 tournament in South Africa, where the holders meet Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia in Group F.
Totti has suffered a string of injury problems in the last year, but is back fit for Roma's Serie A title run-in and has scored 12 league goals this term.
His return would give Italy much-needed creativity following recent lacklustre results, but walking back into side having not contributed to qualification could rankle with players who miss out on a starting berth or a squad place.
Totti, along with Roma teammates Daniele De Rossi and Luca Toni, were excluded from the 29-man training squad because their side face Inter Milan in the Italian Cup final today.
Villarreal forward Giuseppe Rossi is also missing because of club action in Spain but Lippi said the 23-year-old "remains in my notebook".
Speculation is rife that Lippi will step down after the World Cup.
