Missing Totti will weaken Italy, says coach

ITALY coach Giovanni Trapattoni has admitted the absence of injured striker Francesco Totti has weakened his side for their Euro 2004 qualifier against Wales on Saturday.

The AS Roma captain injured his hip in a pre-season game and will miss the match in Milan, which the Welsh must draw to prevent Italy leapfrogging them at the top of Group Nine.

“It’ll be a much tighter match in the middle of the pitch against Wales,” Trapattoni was quoted as saying by Italian press agency ANSA on Tuesday. “We’ll need someone up front in support of [striker Christian] Vieri.”