Maldini has task tough ahead

 ROME (AP) -- Italy coach Cesare Maldini has less than a week to find answers to a host of key lineup questions ahead of Saturday's all-important World Cup qualifier against England.
 Can Ciro Ferrara overcome a leg injury? Who's the best bet to score?
 As players gathered for training Monday, the potential absence of veteran defender Ferrara was the most troubling problem.
 Ferrara, expected to patrol the centre of Italy's backfield, limped off the field Sunday with eight minutes left in Juve's game. A preliminary exam showed a strained right hamstring.
 Maldini also had to sift through his surplus of strikers to find a proper tandem.
 Of the six forwards named to the 22-man roster, four scored for their clubs Sunday. That includes the likely starting duo of Gianfranco Zola (who plays for England's Chelsea) and Christian Vieri (Spain's Atletico Madrid).
 And with Maldini in the stands at Delle Alpi Stadium, Filippo Inzaghi and Alessandro Del Piero gave the coach something to think about by each finding the target in Juventus' 2-1 win over Fiorentina. Inzaghi had a masterful game, repeatedly finding seams in the defence and setting up Del Piero's goal with a slick heel-pass.
 It's a crucial call for Maldini.
 During his tenure, the Azzurri have switched to a more defensive stance, relying on moments of individual brilliance for scoring. Zola produced one such moment to lift Italy past England 1-0 at Wembley last February.
 The Italians are in trouble when they have an off-day or encounter good goalkeeping. Both happened in the side's last outing, a 0-0 draw at Georgia which dropped Italy into second place in Group 2, behind England.
 Italy needs a victory to secure a spot in next summer's World Cup finals in France. A draw or loss forces Italy to win a playoff to qualify.
 While Maldini fretted over Ferrara's possible absence, England coach Glenn Hoddle said he had no major injury worries as his players gathered Monday at the team's training headquarters in Buckinghamshire.
 "It's about time things started to go right for me," he said. "In all seven other matches I've had a headache after the first session and had to sort out who was going and who I could bring in.
 "We needed a bit of good fortune ahead of such a big game. There couldn't be a better time to get that sort of luck."
 Middlesbrough's Paul Merson has been called up as a reserve, replacing the injured Robert Lee. Merson, formerly of Arsenal, came on as a substitute for Steve McManaman in the first game against Italy.
 Players who were in action for their clubs Sunday were left out of Monday's training by Hoddle. They were Liverpool's McManaman, Paul Ince, Robbie Fowler and Graeme Le Saux, and Merson. Also rested were Manchester United's Gary Pallister, Aston Villa's Gareth Southgate and Arsenal's Tony Adams -- who is expected to be named captain.