Football: Tevez dropped from Argentina squad

BUENOS AIRES, Aug 19, 2011 (AFP) - Want-away Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez was on Friday dropped from the Argentina squad for friendly games against Venezuela and Nigeria by new coach Alejandro Sabella.

BUENOS AIRES, Aug 19, 2011 (AFP) - Want-away Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez was on Friday dropped from the Argentina squad for friendly games against Venezuela and Nigeria by new coach Alejandro Sabella.

Tevez is reportedly seeking to leave City and was one of three players cut from Argentina's Copa America squad by Sabella, alongside Inter Milan veteran Javier Zanetti and Real Madrid holding midfielder Fernando Gago.

Malaga centre-back Martin Demichelis and Marseille playmaker Lucho Gonzalez were both recalled.

Sabella also announced a squad of purely domestic-based players for a pair of friendly games against Brazil in September.

Argentina, beaten on penalties by Uruguay in the Copa America quarter-finals on home soil last month, will face Venezuela in India on September 2 before taking on Nigeria in Bangladesh four days later.


Argentina squad

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria/ITA), Mariano Andujar (Catania/ITA), Esteban Andrada (Lanus)

Defenders: Martin Demichelis (Malaga/ESP), Federico Fernandez (Napoli/ITA), Nicolas Burdisso (Roma/ITA), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica/POR), Nicolas Otamendi (Porto/POR), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City/ENG), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle United/ENG), Cristian Ansaldi (Rubin Kazan/RUS), Nicolas Pareja, Marcos Rojo (both Spartak Moscou/RUS)

Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona/ESP), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid/ESP), Ever Banega (Valencia/ESP), Ricardo Alvarez (Inter Milan/ITA), Fabian Rinaudo (Sporting Lisbon/POR), Javier Pastore (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Lucho Gonzalez (Marseille/FRA), Jose Sosa (Metalist/UKR)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona/ESP), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid/ESP), Eduardo Salvio (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City/ENG), Lisandro Lopez (Lyon/FRA)

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