Italy starts prepararing

 ROME (AP) -- Italy coach Cesare Maldini began searching Tuesday for the right attacking combination to throw at Russia in their make-or-break World Cup playoff match.
 With Christian Vieri sidelined by a thigh injury, Pierluigi Casiraghi less than 100 per cent and a jumble of other forwards, Maldini has less than a week to solve the riddle of a weak offence ahead of Saturday's game at Naples.
 Casiraghi, who had lost his starting spot to Vieri, practised Tuesday despite sprained ligaments in his left knee. He appears the frontrunner for a spot at kickoff.
 "The leg hurts. But there's no tear, that's why I'm convinced I'll be able to be ready," said Casiraghi, who scored both goals when Italy beat Russia 2-1 at the 1996 European Championships.
 "We shouldn't look for too many parallels with that (Euro '96) game. That was a different, better organized Russia. This one puts more emphasis on individuals."
 Casiraghi will likely be paired with one other, more creative, striker. Maldini's options are Chelsea's Gianfranco Zola -- who, like Casiraghi, was banished to the stands for the first leg against Russia -- Juventus' Alessandro Del Piero and Parma's Enrico Chiesa.
 Vieri scored when Italy and Russia drew 1-1 in the first leg, Oct. 29 at Moscow.
 The winner of the aggregate-goals playoff qualifies for next summer's World Cup finals. The loser stays home, and Maldini is hoping not to make history. Italy, a three-time champion and the 1994 runner-up, last failed to reach soccer's grandest stage in 1958.
 "It will be necessary to keep the Russians far away from the penalty area. It would be permissible to make the calculations and realize that a 0-0 draw would be enough," Maldini said.
 A 0-0 draw would put Italy through on the away-goals rule.
 "But I wouldn't just try for that score, because just a little distraction could compromise everything," the coach added. "What's important is to get the desired result. Nothing else matters."
 Maldini, with his job on the line, acknowledged he was wary of adding new players to the mix ahead of such a vital game.
 "This is not the time to experiment," he said. "I trust this group. I know that this is the last card and we'll try to play it well."
 Other than Casiraghi, Maldini's only injury woe is central defender Ciro Ferrara's broken nose. But the Juventus veteran -- who skipped the Moscow match and Italy's 0-0 draw with England last month with a bad leg -- should be ready to play, team doctors said.