MILAN, Italy -- Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has already decided on his final 23-man World Cup squad and has asked the players to prove him right before he reveals who will be going to Brazil. Diego Costa Yellow Jersey . There were few surprises when Italy named its preliminary 30-man squad Tuesday but there will surely be more debate when seven players are cut. "Yes (Ive decided), but I want confirmation from them" Prandelli said in an interview published in Fridays Gazzetta dello Sport. "I havent thought about the starting XI: this will not be a World Cup of 11 players. "We need 23 resources, 23 players who think they will be among the first 11, focused only on the squad. Everyone has to understand they might play only one game. But it might be the game." Prandelli praised Giuseppe Rossi for making the provisional list, despite only just having returned from a four-month injury layoff due to a right knee injury. "I called him up because four and a half months ago, before his injury, he was the top goalscorer in Serie A and remained so for a few weeks after getting injured,"Prandelli said. "Thats a sign that he was doing something extraordinary. "His inclusion is a message for everyone: if you want something and fight and really try for it, you deserve a chance. Rossi is also a champion in his behaviour, that doesnt mean he will definitely be among the 23." Antonio Cassano was also on the list, despite not having played for Italy since helping the Azzurri to a runner-up finish at the 2012 European Championship, and he could make his World Cup debut after a fantastic season for Parma. "When a player manages to redevelop in a positive way and get back in the running it is as if they have cancelled out all the negativity," Prandelli said. "The numbers are the numbers: beyond his pride and his motivation, in scoring and in assists, Cassano was a few yards ahead of the others." Italian media says Cassano is the alternative if Rossi is deemed not fit enough, with Mario Balotelli the only forward assured of his place in the squad. "Nobody is tied to anyone," the Italy coach said. "We will now have 10 days of physical work from which I also expect scientific answers, without having to rely only on feeling. Both could come: Im not ruling out anything." Prandelli also revealed he seriously considered including Francesco Totti, adding "I thought about him, before his injury he had extraordinary statistics. Then the younger players exploded and the future is theirs." Italys first World Cup match is against England on June 14. It also plays Costa Rica and Uruguay in Group D. The Azzurri are aiming for a record-equaling fifth World Cup triumph, two years after surprisingly reaching the final of the European Championship, where it was humiliated 4-0 by Spain. "I havent looked at who our potential opponents could be (in the knockout stages)," Prandelli said. "I know we have to pass the first round and then we have to organize in order to get to the final. I want to go to the final." Ja... Blackman Chelsea Jersey .B. -- Canadas Rachel Homan had ideal preparation for the playoffs at the Ford World Curling Championships with a pair of hard-fought wins over tenacious opponents Thursday. ... van Ginkel Chelsea Jersey .C. -- The Grand Rapids Griffins are back atop the Western Conference thanks to a gritty come-from-behind win Saturday night.MINNEAPOLIS - After joining Cleveland for the final month, Jason Kubel found himself in a familiar place in Minnesota when the Indians finished the regular season. During that series with the Twins, Kubel stopped in the home clubhouse to see some of his old teammates and coaches. Manager Ron Gardenhire got to the point. "I said, Why arent you in this clubhouse?" Gardenhire recalled. "He said, Well, lets talk over the winter. And we talked." Less than three months later, Kubel signed with the Twins. Hell be at spring training next month on a minor league contract, but if he is added to the 40-man roster he would receive a $2 million base salary. There are bonuses built in, too: $150,000 each for 300 and 350 plate appearances and $200,000 for 400 plate appearances; and $150,000 each for 30 and 60 days on the active major league roster, excluding time on the disabled list, and $200,000 for 90 days on the active major league roster. Thats an extra $1 million waiting for him if hes healthy and productive enough to re-establish himself as an everyday player. "The guy can put some swings on the ball and put it in the seats. He can carry a ballclub," Gardenhire said. "Im not saying hes here to do that, but I think hes going to be very valuable for us if he comes and proves that in spring training that hes still good and healthy." Kubel isnt the only former Twins standout whos back for a second time. Shortstop Jason Bartlett was signed to a minor league deal and will be in camp vying for a spot. General manager Terry Ryan also confirmed over the weekend the team has maintained interest in two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, who is recovering from a second surgery on the left shoulder that kept him out of the 2011 and 2013 seasons. Santana probably wont be ready to pitch until the summer, and hed surely have other teams to pick from. But the theme the Twins are following is clear: leadership ability and winning experience, two important traits theyve largely lacked the last three years while losing at least 96 games each time. Bartlett and Kubel are past their prime, a decline accelerated by injuries, but if theyre healthy they could help enhance the roster. Pedro Florimon is a slick fielder, buut even for a shortstop a . Gary Cahill Chelsea Jersey. 78 career on-base percentage wont cut it for long. If the 27-year-old wins the job again, Bartlett could still be in line for a utility spot, competing with Eduardo Escobar. "I feel like a rookie again," Bartlett said over the weekend at the teams annual fan festival, held at Target Field for the first time. Bartlett was traded to Tampa Bay before the 2008 season. He went to the World Series that fall and had a career year in 2009. But his production sharply decreased in 2010, and he was traded to San Diego. Limited by a sprained right knee in 2012, Bartlett was released that summer batting just .133. He didnt play at all in 2013, and he thought his career could be over. He had surgery to fix the knee, though, and the 34-year-old said hes been working out pain-free since. Before choosing the Twins, however, he had to talk to the boss. "He was concerned about if he had a chance to make the club, and I said, Absolutely. You come into my spring training and you prove youre healthy, I know youre a winner. I know you know how to play," Gardenhire said. Kubel signed shortly after Bartlett. "Jason Tyner called me and said, Whats going on? Is this an old-timers game? Do I need to pack my bag or what?" Bartlett said. "That was funny. We have good memories here." Including, of course, the 2006 season when the Twins went 96-66, one game behind the New York Mets and Yankees for the best record in baseball. "We both have been on this team when we were doing well," said Kubel, who also spent time at TwinsFest. "They kind of wanted to bring that attitude back. Theyve got the right guys to do that with." Kubel signed with Arizona for two years and $15 million prior to the 2012 season, but last year he was bothered by knee and quadriceps trouble on his left leg and stumbled to career lows in every significant statistical category. He was designated for assignment and then traded to Cleveland. Just two years ago, though, he hit 30 homers and drove in 90 runs for the Diamondbacks. There are openings in the outfield for him to fill. "It just didnt work out last year," he said. "Healthy now. No issues. ... Im just really excited to get started." cheap jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '