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Buffon targets swift return |
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes he will be ready to play in the next group game against New Zealand after being substituted at half-time in the Azzurri's 1-1 draw with Paraguay due to a back injury.
Coach Marcello Lippi revealed Buffon "felt a pain in his back" during the warm-up and by the break, with the score 1-0 in Paraguay's favour, the veteran goalkeeper was unable to continue and was replaced by Federico Marchetti.
Buffon, who would not have been able to stop Antolin Alcaraz's close-range header even if fully fit, said after the match he "hopes to recover in two days", well ahead of Italy's Group F meeting with New Zealand on June 20.
Team doctors and Lippi refused to speculate as to the extent of the injury until Buffon underwent tests on Tuesday.
"It was a big blow. We lost a substitution that we could have used," Lippi said. "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."
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