Italian Football: Gascoigne pleases Taylor

AFTER watching an ebullient Paul Gascoigne complete 67 minutes of Lazio's 5-2 win over Parma yesterday, Graham Taylor, the England manager, hinted that Rome's latest emperor would play some of the World Cup tie against Norway at Wembley next week.

Gascoigne was masterful for half an hour. He made Lazio's first after 17 minutes when his run into the box was rudely ended by Claudio Taffarel, the Parma keeper. Giuseppe Signori scored from the spot on his way to a hat-trick and Lazio's first Serie A success this season.

Gascoigne, who left the field to enormous cheers, aims to last the pace in a midweek cup tie against Cesena. Taylor called it all 'very encouraging'. He added: 'If he plays 90 minutes on Wednesday, the chances are that he could get on for part of the game against Norway. In another 15 games or so he could be ready for 90 minutes in an international.'

Italy's league of nations, so often criticised for lack of goals, registered 48 yesterday with foreigners to the fore. Milan were a goal down at Fiorentina but hit back to win 7-3, the returning Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten both scoring twice. The Rossoneri are now one short of equalling their mid- 1950s' record of 40 successive league matches without defeat.

Juventus left out David Platt, their fourth foreigner, for the trip to Napoli. They won 3-2, the German Andreas Moller scoring again, but the England midfielder should soon be starting regularly as Juventus's Brazilian defender, Julio Cesar, broke his shinbone tackling Jonas Thern. While prostrate on a stretcher, Cesar was pelted with oranges, vegetables and bottles.