Italy midfielder Daniele Galloppa believes Antonio Cassano only has himself to blame for being frozen out of the squad.

Cassano has been in excellent form for Sampdoria this year and the question of whether he deserves a place in Marcello Lippi's team has been debated in the press and on the terraces all season.

Now Parma midfielder Galloppa, himself a new face in the national squad, has waded into the debate - and his scathing criticism is unlikely to offer any comfort to the talented Cassano.

"There is too much talk about Cassano. If he is not picked for Italy then that's his own fault," Galloppa told the press in Cesena.

Despite the clamour from certain quarters for Cassano to return to the squad coach Lippi has refused to pick him for the recent friendly internationals, and a place on the plane to next year's World Cup in South Africa appears to be an unlikely scenario.