Buffon set for quick return for Italy
Gianluigi Buffon is confident he can recover in time for Italy's next match despite suffering a back injury in the 1-1 draw against Paraguay in Group F.
The influential goalkeeper was replaced by substitute Federico Marchetti at half-time in Cape Town after feeling a painful twinge in his sciatic nerve.
Buffon has six days to recover before Italy's next game, against unfancied New Zealand on Sunday.
But the 32-year-old says that he "hopes to recover in two days".
Team doctor Enrico Castellacci stopped short of stating that Buffon would be fit, however, insisting that no decision would be taken until tests are carried out.
Buffon could do little to stop Paraguay taking the lead on a rain-drenched night in Cape Town, with Antolin Alcaraz making the most of some hesitant defending from captain Fabio Cannavaro and Daniele De Rossi to head home an unlikely opener.
But De Rossi made amends after the break when some dreadful goalkeeping from Paraguay's Justo Villar allowed the midfielder to nip in and equalise from a corner.
"During the warm-up Buffon felt a pain in his back and after the first half he couldn't continue," said Italy coach Marcelo Lippi.
"It was a big blow. We lost a substitution that we could have used.
"I don't know how bad the injury is or how long it will take him to recover. The doctors will have to tell us that."
Italy struggled to get going in what was their first World Cup match since winning the tournament in Germany four years ago.
The awful weather did not help their cause though, and Lippi, who masterminded the victory in Berlin, insisted his team had made a satisfactory start to their title defence.
"Italy is right here. We're here tactically, physically, with our hearts, we're here full stop.
"I just regret that we did not get the points we deserved, but sometimes that's what happens, you get less than you deserve.
"The important thing is this was not a decisive game. What is important is that people now realise we are here and have got our act together."
"We deserved to win," De Rossi said. "We controlled the ball virtually the entire time, but it's not easy against these teams that dream simply of drawing with the world champions.
"And if you fall behind, it becomes even tougher."
BBC News
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