In light of the October 11 world cup qualifier between Bulgaria and Italy bookmakers are pegging 13-5 for Bulgaria and Italy to draw, 9-1 for Bulgaria to win and 9-4 for Italy to win.

The odds are supported by the Bulgarian star player Dimitar Berbatov who on arriving at Sofia International Airport, told Bulgarian National Television: "you should not expect too much from the game with Italy. Don't make too much fuss out of it and let us just get on with our job. If we draw with them it will be a success." Plamen Markov, Bulgaria's coach, has expressed similar views, saying that if Bulgaria collects four points from their clashes with Italy and Georgia in the forthcoming qualifiers, this should be considered as a success for the team.

Markov has included winger Martin Petrov in his 20-strong squad for the match against Italy on October 11, despite the fact that Petrov is still nursing an injury collected while on duty with Manchester City. Apparently he is trying to do everything in his power to boost the squad and avoid a humiliating defeat in Sofia. He announced the squad on Monday for the October 11 match against Italy in Sofia and the away match at Georgia on October 15. The Bulgarians are in group eight along with Italy, Ireland, Cyprus, Georgia and Montenegro.

Bulgaria will definitely not rely on the services of another Manchester City player, striker Valeri Bojinov, who is a long-term absentee through injury, or the Croatian-born defender Igor Tomasic, who announced his retirement from the national team last week, giving Markov more selection headaches.

Bulgaria host Italy on October 11 at the National Stadium Vassil Levski in Sofia and visit Georgia four days later in crunch qualifiers from which Bulgaria needs to extract preferably six points, or - in the worst case scenario - four, if they are to have any realistic chances of going to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

Italy meanwhile have dropped Del Piero from the qualifier with Bulgaria.

Del Piero had received the call for Italy's first two qualifiers last month against Cyprus and Georgia but saw little playing time due to injuries and a dip in form. In fact, the Scuadra Azzura will travel to Bulgaria hampered by injuries all across the park. The list of casualties has risen, with defenders Nicola Legrottaglie, Marco Materazzi, Marco Cassetti and Fabio Grosso, as well as midfielder Andrea Pirlo and strikers Vincenzo Iaquinta and Marco Borriello, all being ruled out of the match in
Sofia.