BUENOS AIRES: Lionel Messi will be absent from Argentina’s upcoming two World Cup qualifying matches due to an injury.
Argentina’s head coach, Lionel Scaloni, revealed his 28-player roster on Monday for the fixtures against Chile on September 5 and Colombia five days later.
Messi is currently in the process of recovering from an injury to his right ankle.
Additionally, the 36-year-old Ángel Di María, who announced his retirement from the national team following the recent Copa America victory, is also not included in the squad.
The reigning World Cup champions, Argentina, are at the top of the South American qualifying standings with 15 points after six matches.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Walter Benítez (PSV Eindhoven), Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique Marseille), Juan Musso (Atalanta), Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa).
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Germán Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille), Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nicolás Tagliafico (Olympique Lyon), Valentín Barco (Brighton).
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma), Guido Rodríguez (West Ham), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham), Ezequiel Fernández (Al Qadisiya), Rodrigo de Paul (Atletico Madrid), Nico González (Fiorentina).
Forwards: Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Matías Soulé (Roma), Giuliano Simeone, Julián Álvarez (Atletico Madrid), Valentín Carboni (Olympique Marseille), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), and Valentín Castellanos (Lazio).
