Italy coach Aldo Corno admits that his four-year plan for the women's national team will make it very difficult for them to qualify for the 2005 European Championship.

Corno will have the services of two players, Laura Macchi and Raffaella Masciadri, who have been competing in the WNBA.

But placed in a group with 2001 champions France, and traditional heavyweights Hungary and Lithuania, will make qualifying for next year's tournament extremely difficult.

"Macchi and Masciadri, who are two crucial players in this team, will join us next week but they will arrive tired and that will be a problem for us," Corno told PA International.

"We face a difficult group, France are the group favourites and we face challenging games.

"It's certainly going be a test for us to see our current level, how much we have improved and to give the younger players some valuable experience."

Corno is looking forward to developing his trio of young players - teenagers Dubravka Davic, Eva Giauro and Kathrin Ress - whom he believes they will be the future of the national team.
"We are planning towards (Euro) 2007," said Corno.

"We are introducing younger players into this team and at least three or four young players will be included in my selection.

"Ress (who plays for Boston College) has been the best player in her conference group and Davic and Giauro are improving a lot. They are our hope, the future of this team."

Davic, however, is an uncertainty going into the qualification campaign. She picked up a foot injury in May and has failed to fully recover.

"Davic's fitness worries me because I am not sure if she will be available to compete with her foot problem still bothering her," said Corno.

"The rest of the players are in good form. We have been working for a week and we still have three weeks of preparation. I am satisfied with the work the girls have done so far."

Italy are currently training in Treviso, where they will remain before going to Gorizia on August 20 to play in a preparation tournament against Sweden, Croatia and Bulgaria.