Soccer-Italy roundup-Inter's Figo ready to return
Brief news ahead of this weekend matches in Italy's Serie A. * Luis Figo is ready to return for leaders Inter at Catania on Sunday after missing three months with a broken leg. "I have healed. I'm not up to match rhythm, but I feel ready to return,...
Brief news ahead of this weekend matches in Italy's Serie A. * Luis Figo is ready to return for leaders Inter at Catania on Sunday after missing three months with a broken leg.
"I have healed. I'm not up to match rhythm, but I feel ready to return, maybe in the next league game, or the one after," the Portuguese midfielder told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"If I don't play, I can't regain the match fitness I lack." Brazilian defender Maicon and midfielder Cesar are injury doubts but defender Marco Materazzi should be available after missing Italy's 3-1 win over Portugual in a friendly midweek with a back problem.
France midfielder Patrick Vieira is suspended for being sent off against Empoli last week and Dejan Stankovic is sidelined with a leg muscle strain.
* Captain Francesco Totti should be in the starting line-up for second-placed AS Roma's home game against struggling Reggina on Saturday despite back pains.
Brazil defender Juan is still out with a foot injury for the Rome side, who are aiming to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat at lowly Siena.
* Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is unlikely to start for Juventus at Udinese (1400 GMT) on Sunday because he is still suffering with a bad back too, but he should be on the bench. Winger Mauro Camoranesi is pushing for a start after shrugging off a thigh problem and defender Giorgio Chiellini may be back from a knock.
Midfielder Cristiano Zanetti and forward Vincenzo Iaquinta return from suspension, but defender Guglielmo Stendardo serves the final part of a three-match ban he picked up before joining Juve from Lazio on loan last month.
* Forward Simone Pepe and Brazilian defender Felipe are suspended for Udinese.
* Fiorentina midfielder Franco Semioli is expected return for Saturday's trip to Atalanta after missing Italy's victory over Portugal and last weekend's 1-0 defeat to AC Milan with a foot injury.
Midfielder Fabio Liverani and forward Pablo Osvaldo are doubts for the fourth-placed Florence side with ankle and leg-muscle problems respectively.
* Short-handed AC Milan are counting on strikers Ronaldo and Filippo Inzaghi to return from their respective calf and foot injuries for Sunday's home game against Siena (1400 GMT). The European champions are without injured Brazilian forwards Kaka (knee) and Alexandre Pato (ankle) and Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso (thigh), as well as suspended striker Alberto Gilardino.