Roma captain Francesco Totti will not be selected for this month´s Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland in Bari, the country's football bosses have confirmed.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed today that Totti will only return to the national team at the start of the 2007-08 campaign, despite being in frequent action for Roma this year, claiming 18 goals to lead the scoring charts in Serie A.

Totti recovered from a serious foot injury in time to help the Azzurri win the World Cup in Germany last summer but the Italian authorities are keen for him to be fully fit and he has not played for the national team since, much to the disappointment of coach Roberto Donadoni.

"Francesco Totti will return to the national team from September," read a statement from the FIGC. "That is when the player will have completed his recovery programme that he has undergone since the serious injury sustained before the World Cup."

The 30-year-old Totti has missed just one Serie A game this season with Roma and has been pivotal for the Giallorossi in their progression to the last eight of the Champions League.

Totti, whose wife is expecting the couple's second child, will miss the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Scotland on March 28th and Lithuania on June 6th, but is expected to be available for the home clash against France on September 8th.

The world champions are third in Group B, two points behind group leaders France and Scotland.

Donadoni is expected to announce the squad for the clash against Scotland on Sunday.