Tevez left out of Argentina squad
Reuters - Saturday 12 March 2011, 15:30
BUENOS AIRES - Manchester City striker
Carlos Tevez will miss Argentina's friendlies away to United
States and Costa Rica this month after being overlooked again by
coach Sergio Batista.
Tevez was left out of the squad that played Portugal in
Geneva last month having withdrawn from a November game against
arch-rivals Brazil only to play for City four days later.
Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona
cited that as the reason for his being dropped.
Argentina meet United States in New Jersey on March 26 and
Costa Rica, now coached by Argentine former Mexico trainer
Ricardo La Volpe, in San Jose three days later.
Injuries to players including Inter Milan striker Diego
Milito have allowed Batista to call up others like Benfica
forward Eduardo Salvio, who won his only cap under former coach
Diego Maradona in 2009.
With Real Madrid's Fernando Gago injured, Porto midfielder
Fernando Belluschi, who won his second cap in 2007, earned a
recall, as did World Cup squad member Mario Bolatti having moved
from Fiorentina to Internacional of Brazil this year.
Players whose Argentine clubs have league or Libertadores
Cup commitments on or close to the match dates have also been
left out of the 24-man list.
Batista's team have won four and lost one of their five
friendlies since he took over from Maradona after the 2010 World
Cup finals.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar), Mariano Andujar
(Catania), Adrian Gabbarini (Independiente)
Defenders: Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Pablo Zabaleta
(Manchester City), Nicolas Burdisso (AS Roma), Nicolas Otamendi
(Porto), Gabriel Milito (Barcelona), Marcos Rojo (Spartak
Moscow), Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid), Federico Fazio (Sevilla)
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Mario Bolatti
(Internacional), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Fernando
Belluschi (Porto), Ever Banega (Valencia), Angel Di Maria (Real
Madrid), Javier Pastore (Palermo), Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht),
Jose Sosa (Napoli)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi
(Napoli), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica)