Lionel Messi will spearhead Argentina’s Copa America title defence in america later this month.
Supervisor Lionel Scaloni stated on Saturday he was counting on a squad brimming with the expertise of the likes of Miami-based Messi and Benfica’s Angel Di Maria with the freshness of youth.
World Cup champions Argentina start their Copa defence towards Canada on June 20 in Atlanta. They then face Chile on June 25 and Peru 5 days later.
Becoming a member of the thirty-something veterans in Scaloni’s 26-player squad are Manchester United teenager Alejandro Garnacho and Valentin Carboni of Italian aspect Monza.
Scaloni has elected to not name up both Argentina’s World Cup champions Paulo Dybala, the 30-year-old captain of Serie A’s Roma, Atletico Madrid defender Angel Correa, 29, or Marseille defender Lucas Balerdi.
Argentina squad
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa/ENG), Franco Armani (River Plate),Geronimo Rulli (Ajax/NED)
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon/FRA), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla/ESP), Cristian Romero (Tottenham/ENG), German Pezzella (Actual Betis/ESP), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica/POR), Lucas Martinez Quarta (Fiorentina/ITA), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United/ENG)
Midfielders: Guido Rodriguez (Actual Betis/ESP), Leandro Paredes (Roma/ITA), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool/ENG), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea/ENG), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen/GER), Giovani Lo Celso (Totthenham/ENG)
Forwards: Angel Di Maria (Benfica/POR), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/USA), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/ITA), Julian Alvarez (Manchester Metropolis/ENG), Valentin Carboni (Monza/ITA), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina/ITA), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United/ENG).
AFP