(CNN) -- Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has included three uncapped players in his final 23-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa.





Winger Pedro Rodriguez, 22, was named along with his Barcelona teammate Victor Valdes, who edged out 19-year-old David De Gea and Villarreal's Diego Lopez for the third goalkeeping place.





De Gea's 21-year-old clubmate Javi Martinez was handed a midfield berth, having impressed as Atletico Madrid won the UEFA Europa League this season and reached the final of the Spanish Cup.





"They have had a good season, they are coming to strengthen the squad as substitutes for other players," Del Bosque told reporters.





Martinez's fellow under-21 international, Osasuna defender Cesar Azpilicueta, missed out along with midfielders Santi Cazorla and Marcos Senna, who both featured when Spain won Euro 2008.





Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo was also chopped, as was another member of the triumphant 2008 squad, Dani Guiza.





Del Bosque is giving England-based stars Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas every chance to be fit, retaining the duo as they recover from injuries.





Midfielder Andres Iniesta is also expected to be ready, having returned from a calf problem in the last game of the Spanish league season as Barcelona claimed the title.





Barcelona's 19-year-old Bojan Krkic, who missed Spain's Euro 2008 success at his own request due to fatigue, did not even make the initial 30-man squad named earlier this month.





England coach Fabio Capello was forced to go back on his previously iron-clad rules in selecting his preliminary squad for the World Cup.





The Italian has always said he would not pick players who are injured or out of form, but brought Liverpool's Jamie Carragher out of international retirement to bolster his defensive options as cover with injury-prone captain Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King also in the 30-man line-up.





Neither Carragher nor versatile Tottenham star King have yet played for Capello, who retained his midfield mainstay Gareth Barry despite the Manchester City player being in doubt for the June 12 opener against the United States due to injury.





Carragher made himself unavailable in 2007 after not being often used by previous managers Sven-Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren despite being regularly named in squads.





Blog: Will "the Force" be with Capello at World Cup?





Capello also asked Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes to become available again following his own international retirement in 2004, but the 35-year-old turned down the opportunity.





"He said no, he preferred to stay with the family. But I tried," Capello told the UK Press Association.





Liverpool fullback Glen Johnson was named despite being sidelined with injury, while striker Emile Heskey retained his place although he has not been a first-choice selection for his club Aston Villa.





Key forward Wayne Rooney was named despite his niggling groin problem, with Tottenham's Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch taking the other striking spots along with Sunderland's 25-goal Darren Bent.





Winger Aaron Lennon was included after only recently returning with Tottenham after a long-term absence, as was fellow right-sided player Shaun Wright-Phillips despite his failure to win a regular place at Manchester City, who also have 22-year-old Adam Johnson in the squad.





Midfielder Joe Cole also got the nod, having last played for England in 2008, after a strong end to a season that saw him on the fringe of league champions Chelsea's first team.





Germany captain Michael Ballack was ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an ankle injury in the English FA Cup final.





The Chelsea midfielder was caught by a bad tackle from Portsmouth's Berlin-born Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has decided to switch nationalities to play for Group D opponents Ghana and whose half-brother Jerome was earlier named  in the preliminary 27-man German squad.





With No. 1 goalkeeper Rene Adler also sidelined by injury, the 35-year-old Hans-Jorg Butt received his first call-up since 20003 to vie for a starting place with Schalke's Manuel Neuer and Werder Bremen's Tim Wiese.





Butt's young Bayern Munich clubmates Holger Badstuber, 21
What's the England coach called? Who has been bought out of retirement? Who was brought out of retirement? How many people are on Spain's squad? Who are the uncapped players?
Fabio Capello Jamie Carragher Jamie Carragher 23-man Winger Pedro Rodriguez,
question: What's the England coach called?, answer: Fabio Capello | question: Who has been bought out of retirement?, answer: Jamie Carragher | question: Who was brought out of retirement?, answer: Jamie Carragher | question: How many people are on Spain's squad?, answer: 23-man | question: Who are the uncapped players?, answer: Winger Pedro Rodriguez,