Argentina World Cup squad to include Riquelme, Crespo, Messi

May 15, 2006, 23:55 GMT

Buenos Aires - With just an hour to go to deadline, Argentina's trainer Jose Pekerman Monday named his 23-man World Cup team, with such high power players as Juan Riquelme (Villarreal), forward Hernan Crespo (Chelsea) and the youth star Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona), who is still recovering from injuries.

Argentina, whichfaces Ivory Coast, Serbia, Montenegro and the Netherlands in Group C when play opens June 9 in Germany, is hoping to regain the World cup 20 years since their last world victory.

Pekerman dealt an unexpected blow to Bayern Munich's Martin Demichelis, who will be left behind, as well as Inter Milan's trusted standby Javier Zanetti of Inter Milan. FC Bayern reported on its website that Demichelis first learned he'd not be in the squad five hours before the 2200 GMT deadline to name the team.

Goalkeepers: Roberto Abbondanzieri (Boca Juniors), Leonardo Franco (Atlético Madrid), Oscar Ustari (Independiente).

Defenders: Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruña), Roberto Ayala (Valencia), Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United), Juan Pablo Sorin (Villarreal), Lionel Scaloni (West Ham United), Gabriel Milito (Real Saragossa), Nicolás Burdisso (Inter Milan), Leandro Cufré (AS Rom).

Midfielders: Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Javier Mascherano (Corinthians Sao Paolo), Luis González (Porto), Pablo Aimar (Valencia), Juan Román Riquelme (Villarreal), Maximiliano Rodríguez (Atlético Madrid).

Strikers: Carlos Tevez (Corinthians Sao Paolo), Hernán Crespo (Chelsea), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors), Javier Saviola (Sevilla), Julio Cruz (Inter Milan).