Enzersdorf (Austria): Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro will miss the European Championship after injuring his right ankle in the Azzurri's opening training session.
Six hours after Italy's plane touched down in Vienna on Monday, Cannavaro was hurt in a collision with fellow defender Giorgio Chiellini.
The World Cup champions have called up Fiorentina defender Alessandro Gamberini to replace Cannavaro, with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon likely taking over the captaincy.
Cannavaro was brought to two different local hospitals for medical exams, with the final decision coming at the Vienna Akh hospital. The Italian Football Federation (Italian: Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio, FIGC) said Cannavaro's ligaments were torn.
After the collision, Cannavaro was on the ground for about 20 minutes before being carried off on a stretcher.
The 7,000 local fans in attendance gave Cannavaro a long applause when he finally exited.
Italy open the tournament next Monday against the Netherlands.
Cannavaro was instrumental in Italy's run to the World Cup title two years ago, earning the Golden Ball award based on his efforts at the tournament in Germany.
With Alessandro Nesta retired from international play, Italy's other top central defenders are Marco Materazzi, Andrea Barzagli and Chiellini. Right back Christian Panucci also has experience in the middle.
According to UEFA rules, teams can replace injured players until one day before their first match. Italy have a long list of defenders and goalkeepers getting injured at big tournaments.
Defender Franco Baresi hurt his meniscus at the 1994 World Cup and came back to play in the final lost on penalties to Brazil. Defender Ciro Ferrara was hurt in Italy's final friendly before the 1996 European Championship, and was replaced by Nesta.
Goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi missed the 1998 World Cup after getting injured in one of Italy's final training sessions before departing for France. Buffon sat out Euro 2000 after injuring his hand in a pre-tournament friendly, and was replaced by Francesco Toldo.
The Azzurri were also dealt a defensive blow at the 2006 World Cup, when Nesta missed the final four games with an injury. Materazzi and Barzagli proved able replacements, but losing Cannavaro could be even a bigger blow, considering his skills and leadership qualities.
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