Paolo Maldini has passed a fitness test and will lead Italy in the first leg of their World Cup play-off against Russia tonight. Fabrizio Ravanelli will spearhead the attack with the powerful Christian Vieri, coach Cesare Maldini said after watching his squad train in sub-zero temperatures at Moscow's Dynamo stadium.
"The practice went really well for Paolo and he'll play tomorrow," his father, Cesare, told a news conference.
The only doubt in his 5-3-2 starting line-up is now at rightback, where Diego Fuser could make way for Parma forward Enrico Chiesa or Juventus defender Gianluca Pessotto, depending on Maldini's last-minute assessment of Russia's tactics.
Ravanelli, who last scored for Italy in last year's 1-0 win over Georgia, will defy history and the Russian winter if he finds the net to put Italy on the road to the finals in France.
No Italian has scored for his country in Russia and the task for the "White Feather" will be hampered by snow that hit Moscow this week and may fall again tonight.
But Maldini is all too aware that it was goalless draws in Poland, Georgia and this month in Rome against England that set up this nerve-wracking decider against awkward opponents.
"I wouldn't settle for a 0-0 result because it would be better to score an away goal," he said at the weekend, wary of Russia scoring in the return leg in Naples on November 15.
"We have to win. Anything else is useless," said Ravanelli.
Anything less than victory over the two legs would be a national disaster for a country that has made every World Cup finals since 1958. But the Russians are far from resigned.
"The weather will be our ally," coach Boris Ignatyev, aware Russia's winter has thwarted foes before and relishing thoughts of an inglorious Italian retreat from Moscow.
Chelsea's Gianfranco Zola is not fully fit, Maldini said, but will be on the bench with Alessandro del Piero in case Ravanelli and Vieri fail to crack open the Russian defence.
Oviedo's Viktor Onopko passed a fitness test, allowing Ignatyev to play his most-capped player at sweeper.
Fit too after injury worries is Fiorentina winger Andrei Kanchelskis, who is entrusted with providing service for fellow Serie A player Igor Kolyvanov of Bologna up front. The rapid Dmitry Alenichev of Spartak Moscow should play in the centre with Bochum's Sergei Yuran partnering Kolyvanov in attack.
Russian confidence, bruised by a brief Euro'96 that included a 2-1 defeat by Italy, hit bottom after a 1-0 defeat in Sofia last month consigned them to the runner-up spot behind Bulgaria.
But a 4-2 win over the Bulgarians in Moscow this month has instilled some new hope that the Italians, too, are vulnerable.
Russia (Probable): Ovchinnikov; Kovtun, Onopko, Tsveiba, Khlestov; Radimov, Alenichev, Tikhonov, Kanchelskis; Kolyvanov, Yuran.
Italy (Probable): Pagliuca; Fuser, Nesta, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Maldini; Baggio, di Matteo, Albertini; Ravanelli, Vieri.
Meanwhile, Croatia's chances of beating Ukraine in the first leg of their play-off were boosted when key midfielder Robert Prosinecki passed a fitness test.
Prosinecki, who was not expected to play because of a knee injury, unexpectedly came through a fitness test and coach Miroslav Blazevic said he will play.
"As a result, the line-up will change," Blazevic told Croatian TV without revealing any other details.
The development should boost Blazevic's confidence, even though Croatia will be without Lazio forward Alen Boksic who has a leg injury.
His confidence is in stark contrast to Jozhef Sabo, Ukraine's manager, who is taking a far more cautious line.
"I believe this match will show Croatia's team is the best," coach Miroslav Blazevic said.
"But I must say Sabo is a colleague for whom I have the utmost respect, because he has created a great team," he added, referring to Ukraine coach Jozhef Sabo.
Croatia (from): Ladic; Simic, Bilic, Saric, Jarni, Juric, Boban, Stanic, Prosinecki, Asanovic, Suker, Vlaovic.
Ukraine (possible): Shovkovsky; Luzhny, Vashchuk, Dmytrulin, Gusin, Skrypnyk; Maximov, Kosovsky, Kryventsov, Popov; Rebrov.
In the final play-off, Hungary play host to Yugoslavia.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)