Public demand may take Pinilla to World Cup finals

Reports in Italy even suggested a 3.6million summer transfer to Serie A giants Fiorentina has been verbally agreed, although this was strongly denied by Grosseto's hierarchy.

Pinilla, 26, is Serie B's top goalscorer following a scintillating sequence of form which prompted calls for his return to the Chilean national team. Coach Marcelo Bielsa remains unconvinced, however. He left the player out of his squad for World Cup warm-up friendlies against Costa Rica and North Korea, which have since been cancelled after Chile suffered a devastating earthquake.

Pinilla said an international recall "is my dream child, and my goals are also for Bielsa". "In the past few months, I have changed as a person, on a personal and professional level," he said. "I've found the emotional balance I needed to play well. I've realised that football is a profession."

Current members of the Chilean squad are open to the prospect of Pinilla returning, but only if his wayward ways are consigned to history. "Our group don't want to make news for things that happen off the field," said goalkeeper and captain Claudio Bravo. "If Mauricio can help us, he's welcome, but here we have to forget distractions outside football."

Pinilla's two-year Hearts career ended in June 2008. He signed a new three-year contract but the club's majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov invoked a clause entitling him to terminate the agreement. Pinilla played briefly for Brazil's Vasco da Gama and Apollon Limassol of Cyprus before joining Grosseto last summer.

Andrea Iaconi, Grosseto's sporting director, admitted his star striker will have to be sold this summer but added: "It isn't true that Pinilla has been signed by Fiorentina, I never speak with them."