Italy defender Alessandro Nesta has been ruled out of Friday's quarter-final clash with Ukraine with a groin strain.

Third-choice centre-back Marco Materazzi will also miss the game through suspension which means Palermo's Andrea Barzagli will play alongside Fabio Cannavaro.

Vincenzo Iaquinta is an injury doubt while Daniele De Rossi is suspended.

Ukraine are without striker Andriy Voronin who is out of the rest of the World Cup with a thigh injury so Sergiy Rebrov should earn a recall.

Rebrov is expected to play in midfield with Andriy Vorobei pushed further forward to support Andriy Shevchenko.

Oleg Blokhin is able to welcome back defenders Andriy Rusol and Vyacheslav Sviderskyi who both missed the Switzerland game through suspension.

Vladimir Yezerskyi should also return after injury as the two sides play for a semi-final place against either Germany or Argentina.