Injured Agero picked, Icardi dropped from Argentina squad

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03:02

In a surprise move, Serie A joint-top-scorer Mauro Icardi has been dropped from the World Cup-bound Argentina squad as the Albiceleste coach Jorge Sampaoli announced the 23-member list on Monday.

The Inter Milan captain was the most notable absentee from the side that is chasing their third World Cup trophy and the first since their epic triumph in 1986. Apart from dropping Icardi, Sampaoli made a big gamble by picking Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, who has been out of action since March and has been recuperating from a knee surgery.

Aguero, who was in red hot form scoring 31 goals earlier this great season with the English Premier League champions before he was injured, is still racing against time to be back in action just in time for the quadrennial showpiece event.

Argentina's footballers (L-R) defender Eduardo Salvio, defender Marcos Rojo, forward Paulo Dybala and defender Javier Mascherano are pictured during a training session in Ezeiza. /VCG Photo

Two other injured players, defender Gabriel Mercado and midfielder Lucas Biglia, have also made the cut to the squad as Sampaoli seemed to have taken a big risk in what could be his star player Lionel Messi’s last World Cup.

Asked about the risks of taking recovering players to the World Cup, Sampaoli said he will take full responsibility for his choices.

The Argentina coach said that his choices were based on “players that can do many functions to give us different characteristics.”

“Those players in the final list are closer to the idea we are implementing. They are closer to the opposition’s goal line than to their own.”

Icardi, who scored 29 goals in Serie A, including one on Sunday when Inter secured a spot in the Champions League for the first time since 2012, had earlier found a place in Sampaoli’s preliminary list of 35 players announced on May 14.

Mauro Icardi (second from right) with the team scored an own goal during the 2018 World Cup qualifier football match in Buenos Aires. /VCG Photo

Meanwhile, two veteran players Gonzalo Higuain, who has seen a sudden slump in form after a long goalless streak in the Serie A, and Javier Mascherano, the China-based old warhorse, have also been included in the squad and likely to make it to the starting lineup.

“We need to face the World Cup without fear,” Sampaoli said. “In this list, there are players with a lot of skill. The ones that understand our game better will be closer to being starters.”

Argentina, who won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986 and finished runners-up in 1930, 1990 and 2014, are grouped in Russia with Iceland, Croatia, and Nigeria.

Argentina squad for 2018 World Cup:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Wilfredo Caballero (Chelsea), Franco Armani (River Plate).

Defenders: Cristian Ansaldi (Torino), Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), Javier Mascherano (Hebei China Fortune), Federico Fazio (Roma), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax).

Midfielders: Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain), Giovani Lo Celso (Paris Saint-Germain), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham), Ever Banega (Sevilla), Lucas Biglia (Milan), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica).

Strikers: Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City).

(With input from AP)