ROME (EuroBasket Women 2015) - Laura Spreafico has been ruled out of EuroBasket Women 2015 contention after the Beretta Famila Schio player's dreams of playing at Final Round were ruined by a muscle injury.

The 23-year-old had been hoping to make her debut after being overlooked in 2013, but then bouncing back to play almost 15 minutes per game during qualification for this year's edition.

She has been released from camp and won't be heading to the tournament next month, meaning Italy's candidate list now stands at 17 ahead of this week's tournament in Bucharest against Senegal and Romania.

However, the experienced quartet of Raffaella Masciadri, Kathrin Ress, Giorgia Sottana and Martina Fassina have all been given permission to stay in Rome while the rest of the team head to the Romanian capital to participate in the latest preparation games.

In addition to Spreafico, Valentina Fabbri had previously been released from the preliminary initial candidate list.

Italy have played two friendly games so far and split those encounters with Hungary last weekend.

They will play in Group B next month against Belarus, Greece, Poland and Turkey in Oradea.

Italy preliminary squad for EuroBasket Women 2015: Martina Bestagno, Chiara Consolini, Martina Crippa, Francesca Dotto, Martina Fassina, Marcella Filippi, Allesandra Formica, Guilia Gatti, Gaia Gorini, Maria Laterza, Raffaella Masciadri, Chiara Pastore, Elisa Penna, Kathrin Ress, Pamela Rosanio, Giorgia Sottana, Ilaria Zanoni.

Go to eurobasketwomen2015.com for full coverage of EuroBasket Women 2015.

FIBA