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Starting Eleven
Alberto Gilardino could require knee surgery
Fiorentina striker Alberto Gilardino could require a surprise knee operation this summer, his father Gianfranco has revealed.
The 28-year-old Italian international, who has scored 11 goals in 33 Serie A games this term, appears to have been struggling with a knee problem.
Yet he has been playing through the pain barrier since the start of 2011. Surgery at the end of the season could mean he misses Italy's Euro 2012 qualifier against Estonia on June 3.
"Alberto has been struggling with a knee issue since the start of the year," Gianfranco Gilardino told Il Corriere Fiorentino.
"It is not spoken about very often, but it is a problem which does limit him somewhat.
"Does he need surgery? Perhaps, during the summer, he’ll need it cleaned up a little. Nevertheless, he is calm and happy in Florence."
Fiorentina meet Inter at San Siro on Sunday. The Gigliati are currently ninth in Serie A.