[WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN] Marcello Lippi, coach of World Cup defending champion Italy, has picked 16 of the 23 players he will take to South Africa. Amazingly, not one of the probable or possible players is from runaway Serie A leader Inter Milan. Among those still looking to nail down a berth is New Jersey product Giuseppe Rossi ...

According to the Milan sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, just six or seven places remain up for grabs.

The players in contention represent 12 Italian clubs and Rossi's Spanish club Villarreal.

Goalkeepers:
For sure (3 spots): Gigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari)

Defenders:
For sure (6 spots): Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Fabio Grosso  (Juventus), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus),  Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan).
Possible: Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari).
Longshot: Davide Santon (Inter Milan).

Midfielders:
For sure (5 spots): Mauro Camoranesi  (Juventus), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus),  Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan).
Possible: Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Simone Perrotta (Roma), Simone Pepe (Udinese)

Forwards:
For sure (2-3 spots): Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Francisco Totti (Roma).
Possible: Luca Toni (Roma), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Marco Borriello (AC Milan), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal/SPA), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese).