GEEL, Belgium, June 23 (Reuters)(DS) - Italy are refusing to write off their opponents but know it will be an under-strength Romania they face in the quarter-finals of Euro 2000 on Saturday.

The inspirational Gheorghe Hagi returns to the Romanian side but otherwise Emerich Jenei's side payed a high price for their heroic 3-2 victory over the English wich allowed them to qualify as group A runners-up.

Experienced defender Gica Popescu ruptured a calf muscle and is out for the rest of the competition.

In addition, midfielder Dan Petrescu, right back Cosmin Contra and striker Adrian Ilie picked up their second yellow cards and are all suspended for the evening match against the Italians in Brussels.

Jenei declined to say who he would draft into his side, preferring instead to emphasise the positive.

'Of course we have lost important players but Hagi can be like a whole team,' he said. 'When Hagi comes back into our side there is no doubt that our game will be stronger.'

The coach is expected to name Liviu Ciobotariu and Miodrag Belodedici in the centre of defence, pushing the versatile Iulian Filipescu across to right back.

Dinamo Bucharest's Florentin Petre will likely fill Petrescu's slot on the right flank with Ioan Ganea, who scored his side's late winner from the penalty spot against England, expected to partner Viorel Moldovan in attack. Italy's pre-match run-up could hardly have been more different.

Having qualified as group B winners after the second of their three first round matches, coach Dino Zoff had the luxury of resting virtually his entire first team for last Sunday's 2-1 defeat of Sweden.

As a result, the Italians are at full strength with no suspensions and Zoff is expected to switch back to the starting line-up he employed in his side's opening match of Euro 2000 against Turkey.

Filippo Inzaghi and Francesco Totti will start up front while Alessandro Del Piero, who ensured Italy maintained their 100 percent start to the tournament with a late winner against the Swedes, will be back on the bench.

'Maybe as a name, Romania instils less fear than England,' goalkeeper Francesco Toldo said after Romania's unexpected qualification at the expense of the English.

'They've got very different characteristics to England but they're just as dangerous.

'They play a very similar game to us, quick and aggressive.

We will have to impose our game on them.' Saturday's clash will be the first between the two nations for over 11 years and affords the Italians the chance to beat Romania for the first time in over 20.

Romania beat Italy 1-0 when they last met in a friendly in the Romanian city of Sibiu in 1989.

They also had the better of their qualifiers for the 1984 European championship, forcing a 0-0 draw from the world champions in Florence before winning 1-0 in Bucharest. Italy's last defeat of Romania was a 2-1 win in a friendly in Naples in February 1980.

Overall though, the Italians have a clear lead in their 10 head-to-head matches, having won six and drawn two. Saturday's tie in the King Baudouin stadium gives Hagi and

Italian captain Paolo Maldini the chance to renew aqaintances after more than a decade.

Amazingly, they were both in the starting line-ups for the match in Sibiu more than a decade ago.