World Cup 2014: Costa Targeting Comeback in Spain's Final Friendly against El Salvador

Spain striker Diego Costa is reportedly looking to make a comeback during La Roja's final pre-World Cup friendly against El Salvador this weekend, though he is still recovering from a hamstring injury.

The Brazil-born star was a major doubt for the World Cup after he sustained an injury that forced him off nine minutes into Atletico Madrid's Champions League final clash against Real Madrid on 24 May.

However, Vicente del Bosque included Costa in Spain's 23-man World Cup squad, believing the 25-year-old would be fit before the start of the tournament on 12 June.

Now, after confirming that his recovery is going very well, Costa is hoping to make a comeback against El Salvador in America next Saturday.

"I'm very well. I've been working over the last few days with the physios and rehabilitation staff and I feel very well. From tomorrow I will start working with the rest of the team under the orders of Vicente del Bosque. I hope to be able to have some minutes in next week's game against El Savador in Washington," Costa told Spanish newspaper Marca.

Despite being a Brazilian, Costa chose to play for Spain after being naturalised in the summer of 2013. The 25-year-old, who was heavily criticised by Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari for choosing Spain over his country of birth, expressed his pleasure after being given a chance to represent Spain at the 2014 World Cup.

"I'm very pleased. It's a very happy day for me. I was really hoping to go to the World Cup in Brazil."

Rossi Excluded from Italy's 23-Man World Cup Squad

Meanwhile, Fiorentina striker Giuseppe Rossi was the only major absentee for Italy as coach Cesare Prandelli announced his 23-man squad for the World Cup.

Though the American-born striker was in very good form this season, leading the Serie A with 14 goals in 17 matches, a serious knee injury in January sidelined him for four months.

Despite being back a month ago, Rossi - who had turned down the chance to play for USA, saying it was his dream to play for Italy - has not been in the best of shapes, having not played a full 90 minutes since the injury.

The 27-year-old has now been excluded from the squad, and Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne has been called up as his replacement.

Here is the Italy squad for the 2014 World Cup

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain), Mattia Perin (Genoa)

Defenders: Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Gabriel Paletta (Parma)

Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain), Marco Parolo (Parma), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Mario Balotelli (AC Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)