Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro has already met with anti-doping officials following his positive drugs test and a decision on his case could come later today, Italian media has reported. The 36-year-old Juventus defender received emergency cortisone treatment for an insect bite on August 28th, according to his club, and then failed a dope test after a Serie A match two days later.

Cannavaro had requested an exemption after being treated for the bite but did not receive it before he was tested.

Media reports said Cannavaro was spotted meeting the Italian Olympic Committee's (CONI) anti-doping chief Ettore Torri in Turin late last night and that a judgment may be imminent.

Cannavaro, who was famously videoed inserting a drip into his arm on the eve of a 3-0 victory over Olympique Marseille in the 1999 Uefa Cup final when playing for Parma, is suspended for Italy's World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin tomororw, after being sent off in the Azzurri's last game against Bulgaria.

A point at Croke Park will put the world champions through to next year's finals in South Africa where Cannavaro will hope to lead Italy to back-to-back World Cup wins.

Torri, however, has been relentless in his battle against doping and has charged sports personalities even when they have argued that their positive tests were the result of accidents.

Cyclist Alessandro Petacchi failed a drugs test for salbutamol and despite arguing that the results were because he had overused his asthma inhaler, Torri still banned him for a year and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) agreed.

Torri also banned soccer players Daniele Mannini and Davide Possanzini for 15 days for being late for a drugs test while playing for Brescia in 2007 but the

World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) demanded longer suspensions. CAS sided with CONI.

A similar case against AS Roma captain Francesco Totti was dropped last year.