Torino vs US Sassuolo Calcio preview - International incentive for Ziegler

Reto Ziegler hopes a season spent battling to keep Sassuolo in Serie A will end with a trip to the World Cup in Brazil.

The Swiss left-back has been loaned out to Fenerbahce and Lokomotiv Moscow since joining Juventus two years ago and, with his first-team chances still limited in Turin, he has now opted to join the Serie B champions for their first ever top-flight campaign.

The former Tottenham and Sampdoria player is also anxious to impress Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld with his committed displays for the Neroverde, whose season begins at Torino.

He told Sassuolo's official website: "I'm convinced that I made the right choice because I spoke with the people here and with the coach, and also because it's an important year for me.

"There's a World Cup at the end of the season and my desire was to be playing in Serie A again.

"As you know, there were other teams interested in me, but what Sassuolo had to offer me is what I wanted and that's why I'm here.

"Now I'm wearing this shirt and clearly I'm very proud to give my all for Sassuolo. I'm at the coach's disposition and if I get to play on Sunday then I'll certainly give my all."

Boss Eusebio Di Francesco has also secured Slovenian midfielder Jasmin Kurtic and striker Simone Zaza in a co-ownership deal with Sampdoria but Australian midfielder Carl Valeri misses out through injury.

Absent for Torino are injured defender Salvatore Masiello and suspended midfielder Alessandro Gazzi while Daniele Padelli takes over in goal following Jean-Francois Gillet's 43-month ban for alleged match-fixing.

Italy Under-21 striker Ciro Immobile, whose registration cost 2million euros from Genoa, is the key investment at the Stadio Olimpico while defenders Cesare Bovo and Emiliano Moretti bid for a starting berth after leaving the Marassi.

Defender Matteo Darmian hopes a tactical switch improves Torino's prospects for a second year in Serie A, saying: "We're changing our system from a 4-2-4 to a 3-5-2 and I have to say that it's very different defending with three than it is defending with four.

"I've always played with four but I'm working hard to learn the new moves that (coach Giampiero) Ventura is teaching us."