Top-ranked Belgium to experiment in friendly against Italy

MILAN (AP) - Belgium will celebrate reaching No. 1 in the world rankings for the first time when it hosts Italy in a friendly on Friday.

Belgium will also have a point to prove at sold-out King Baudouin Stadium to show it deserves to be top and above World Cup winner Germany, despite making only the quarterfinals last year.

Good performances against four-time World Cup winner Italy, then European champion Spain next Tuesday, would go a long way to convincing its doubters of its credentials.

However, with the European finals seven months away, coach Marc Wilmots wants to experiment with some players, including rightback Luis Pedro Cavanda of Trabzonspor.

"Players will have a chance to show themselves," Wilmots said. "We will be rotating."

Friday's game would have been a highlight for Napoli's Dries Mertens but he was out after tearing a right thigh muscle this week.

Captain Vincent Kompany is also out of both games as he is troubled by a calf injury and, after already angering Manchester City by fielding him last month at the end of an injury spell, Wilmots is looking to keep risks to a minimum.

"I don't want to overexert him, also out of respect for Manchester City," Wilmots said. "We have enough other options."

Here are some other things to know about Friday's match:

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TRAGIC MEMORY: The match will be used to commemorate the victims of the Heysel Stadium tragedy, shortly after the 30th anniversary.

King Baudouin Stadium is the rebuilt Heysel Stadium, where 39 people - mostly Italians - died during fan violence at the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus on May 29, 1985.

There will be a ceremony before Thursday's training session at the stadium to retire Italy's No. 39 shirt in memory of the victims.

There are further initiatives planned before and during the match.

The match against Italy was originally scheduled to be in Kuwait, but was moved after the Kuwaiti federation was suspended.

NO PIRLO NO PARTY: Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini does not believe his former Juventus teammate Andrea Pirlo has played his last match for Italy.

Coach Antonio Conte did not call up the midfield maestro for the friendlies against Belgium and Romania, and indicated on Monday that the absence could become permanent.

But Chiellini disagrees, saying "I believe that Pirlo will come back to the national team although, as with others, we're going to have to get used to him leaving sooner or later."

Chiellini also dismissed reports that the 36-year-old Pirlo, who recently finished his first Major League Soccer season at New York City FC, could join Inter Milan during City's offseason.

SHINING EXAMPLE: Conte has held up Sampdoria defender Lorenzo De Silvestri as the example all Azzurri players should be following.

De Silvestri was ruled out for several months after knee ligament damage during Italy's 1-1 draw against Croatia in a qualifier for the European Championship.

He has made only one appearance for Sampdoria since his comeback but was immediately called up by Conte.

"Am I the symbol of the national team? It seems a bit excessive to me," De Silvestri said. "The coach's words made me very proud.

"Every time I was in rehabilitation I kept telling myself that I ended the season with an injury in the national team and that's where I wanted to return. It also helped me give something extra throughout my whole rehabilitation."