Argentina coach Gerardo Martino has welcomed Lionel Messi back into the international fold alongside a host of new faces, but despite high expectations Carlos Tévez was not among them as the Juventus forward missed out on the Albiceleste’s Asian tour.
The new trainer, who took over from Alejandro Sabella following the World Cup, released a list of 19 players based outside Argentina. The squad, to be boosted later with domestic stars, will take on Brazil in China on October 11, before facing Hong Kong three days later.
Captain Messi was recalled to the squad after missing out against Germany through injury, while Martino stamped his own identity on the list after sticking with the bulk of the players who lost in the World Cup final to Germany for last month’s friendly rematch, a 4-1 win for Argentina.
But Tévez, who was expected to be in the squad after AFA vice-president Juan Carlos Crespi revealed he was on the list of players for whom the organisation was organising a Chinese visa, ultimately missed out, despite Martino’s assertions that he was happy with the striker’s form in Juve.
«I am not going to say if he is or is not in the next call-up, but what does need to be said is what Tévez himself declared: ‘I have to work hard on the pitch to win a place,’ and he is undoubtedly doing very well,» the coach had stated to ESPN just hours before releasing his latest squad.
Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Javier Pastore and highly-rated Villarreal defender Mateo Musacchio are two of the players who received a call-up today, while Udinese’s former River Plate midfielder Roberto Pereyra was a surprise inclusion.
Martino also called on Nahuel Guzmán, the goalkeeper who won the 2012 Inicial title with the coach at Newell’s Old Boys and who currently represent Mexico’s Tigres.
Argentina squad vs. Brazil and Hong Kong
Goalkeeper: Nahuel Guzmán, Sergio Romero.
Defenders: Santiago Vergini, Mateo Musacchio, Pablo Zabaleta, Martín Demichelis, Marcos Rojo, Federico Fernández.
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano, Roberto Pereyra, Lucas Biglia, Javier Pastore, Angel Di María, Erik Lamela, Enzo Pérez, Nicolás Gaitán.
buenosairesherald.com