Barcelona star Lionel Messi suffers a big blow

Barcelona star Lionel Messi suffers a big blow

BUENOS AIRES: Barcelona star Lionel Messi was left out of the first post-World Cup Argentina squad announced on Friday ahead of four upcoming friendlies.




Argentina great Diego Maradona had called on the national team to give Messi a break in an interview published in sport daily Ole on Friday.


“Messi shouldn’t be moving around for money.”





“When they told me Sampaoli had 14 assistants, I asked myself why he went, why didn’t he stay at home drinking mate?”

Manchester United’s second-choice goalkeeper Sergio Romero and Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi have earnt recalls to the squad after missing out on the global showpiece in Russia, while Paulo Dybala of Juventus is also included.

In form domestic-based pair Cristian Pavon of Boca Juniors and Matias Vargas of Velez Sarsfield were also included, alongside young Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez.


Goalkeepers: Franco Armani (River Plate), Geronimo Rulli (Real Sociedad, ESP), Sergio Romero (Manchester United, ENG).

Defenders: Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla, ESP), Fabricio Bustos (Independiente, German Pezzella (Fiorentina, ITA), Alan Franco (Independiente), Ramiro Funes Mori (Villarreal, ESP), Walter Kannemann (Gremio, BRA), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax, NED), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon, POR), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica, POR), Leonel Di Placido (Lanus).

Midfielders: Santiago Ascacibar (Stuttgart, GER), Leandro Paredes (Zenit, RUS), Rodrigo Battaglia (Sporting Lisbon, POR), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Giovani Lo Celso (PSG, FRA), Gonzalo Martinez (River Plate), Franco Cervi (Benfica, POR), Franco Vazquez (Sevilla, ESP), Matias Vargas (Velez), Exequiel Palacios (River Plate).

Forwards: Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, ITA), Paulo Dybala (Juventus, ITA), Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan, ITA), Giovanni Simeone (Fiorentina, ITA), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid, EPA). - APP/AFP