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Marchisio braced for tough England opener

Cesare Prandelli's Italy will go head-to-head with England in their Group D opener in Manaus on Saturday - a repeat of their Euro 2012 quarter-final tie.

Italy prevailed on that occasion, winning 4-2 on penalties en route to the final.

"It will be a very difficult match, but just as they have changed since the Euros, so have we," Marchisio told reporters.

"For many of us it was our first major tournament, so we now have more experience and have done important things over the last two years.

"We already saw against Fluminense what this humidity means, so the fact we worked so well over the last month has prepared us for the conditions in Manaus.

"The meetings with England are always great clashes, so we'll let the pitch do the talking."

And the Juventus midfielder admitted he is unsure who will start against Roy Hodgson's men at the Arena Amazonia.

"We don't know who will play against England," he said.

"We tested two different systems in the last two friendlies and have many players who allow us to be versatile.

"We'll see what the coach chooses, but the important thing is that everyone feels they are a part of this project."

Uruguay and Costa Rica are Italy's other two Group D opponents.