Italy have omitted veteran lock Marco Bortolami from their 31-man squad for next month's rugby World Cup.
The 35-year-old is his country's joint most-capped player along with captain Sergio Parisse, the pair each having made 112 appearances for the Azzurri.
Italian lock Marco Bortolami Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Coach Jacques Brunel also omitted inexperienced winger Michele Visentin, 23, and flanker Robert Barbieri, 31.
Bortolami's Zebre team-mate Mauro Bergamasco, 36, is included and will play in a record fifth World Cup.
Italy were beaten 16-12 by Scotland in a World Cup warm-up in Turin last weekend and play Scotland again at Murrayfield this weekend before travelling to Cardiff for a final warm-up match against Wales on September 5th.
The Azzurri will compete in Pool D with France, Ireland, Canada and Romania at next month's tournament in England and Wales. Their opening match is against France at Twickenham on September 19th.
Italy's 31-man squad:
Forwards: Leonardo Ghiraldini (Leicester), Davide Giazzon (Treviso), Andrea Manici (Zebre); Matias Aguero (unattached), Martin Castrogiovanni (Racing 92), Dario Chistolini (Zebre), Lorenzo Cittadini (Wasps), Michele Rizzo (Leicester); Valerio Bernabo (Zebre), Joshua Furno (Newcastle), Marco Fuser (Treviso), Quintin Geldenhuys (Zebre); Mauro Bergamasco (unattached), Francesco Minto (Treviso), Sergio Parisse (captain, Stade Francais), Samuela Vunisa (Saracens), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso).
Backs: Edoardo Gori (Treviso), Guglielmo Palazzani (Zebre), Marcello Violi (Zebre); Tommaso Allan (Perpignan), Carlo Canna (Zebre); Tommaso Benvenuti (Bristol), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter), Gonzalo Garcia (Zebre), Luca Morisi (Treviso); Angelo Esposito (Treviso), Leonardo Sarto (Zebre), Giovanbattista Venditti (Newcastle); Andrea Masi (Wasps), Luke McLean (Treviso).
