Argentina rest Messi for World Cup qualifiers / Photo: ©
-
Kyiv mourns recovery volunteer, whose life 'intertwined with the fallen'
-
Atletico will not sell Alvarez, says Simeone
-
Only two vehicles earn perfect child-seat scores for 2026
-
Ford Fathom turns affordable electric pickup into reality
-
Chinese car brands reshape Australia’s automotive market
-
Lise Klaveness, the Norwegian thorn in Infantino's side
-
Electric cars enter their most decisive generation yet
-
Europe’s electric car boom exposes a widening market divide
-
Three Chinese carmakers enter the global automotive top 10
-
US Senate confirms Trump's ex lawyer as attorney general
-
Ukraine's Zelensky visits Russian ally Serbia as Moscow pounds Kyiv
-
Tibet conference in Nepal pushed online
-
Ukraine's Zelensky visits Russian ally Serbia for talks
-
Nocturnal 'coffee frog' discovered in Costa Rica
-
Defending champion Shelton storms to Montreal win
-
India's 'cockroach' protest movement keeps heat on Modi
-
Exodus: West Bank hardships drive out Palestinian Christians
-
Russia's only anti-war party eyes support boost at elections
-
Travis Head wins Australian cricketer of the year gong
-
Canada tries to adapt to a future of wildfires
-
Colombia's new president vows to 'defeat narco-terrorists'
-
Death of NBA forward Clarke ruled accident due to heroin, cocaine
-
Call for Infantino to resign comes amid wave of support
-
Abelardo de la Espriella, Colombian president and flamboyant millionaire
-
Trump ally Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in as Colombia president
-
Maradona's 'Hand of God' ball heads to US auction
-
FIFA chief Infantino gets backing of South American football
-
Rybakina advances while Andreeva exits at Toronto
-
Amazon behind massive private gas plant for new data centers
-
Shelton storms to Montreal win as title defence solidifies
-
Apple and OpenAI escalate legal battle over devices
-
All Blacks need to improve says coach after opening win against Stormers
-
All Blacks strike late to secure opening win against Stormers
-
Spain imposes border checks on Italy as migrant showdown grows
-
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan sign defence pact amid regional war
-
Bezzecchi smashes Silverstone track record in MotoGP qualifying
-
Trump renews effort to remove US Fed Governor Lisa Cook
-
Rashid Khan takes six wickets as Afghanistan thrash Ireland
-
Abelardo de la Espriella, the flamboyant millionaire taking power in Colombia
-
Flintoff quits England Lions role after Sydney Thunder appointment
-
Germany holds security meeting over explosive drone amid Russia protest
-
Movement, El Vecino and RISE Partner to Launch First Digital Dollar Wallet for Mexican Remittances
-
Austrian writer Stefan Zweig, who fled Nazis, honoured in London
-
FIFA chief Infantino travels to Colombia for presidential inauguration
-
Mexico and Peru reestablish ties after asylum spat
-
Niewiadoma seizes Tour de France Femmes lead on Mont Ventoux
-
Dollar drops, stocks climb as weak US jobs data eases rate fears
-
Trump's ex-lawyer all set for confirmation as US attorney general
-
Japan defender Tomiyasu joins Crystal Palace
-
WHO urges Ervebo vaccine trial in DR Congo Ebola outbreak
Argentina rest Messi for World Cup qualifiers
Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi, who recently recovered from a Covid-19 infection, was on Wednesday left out of Argentina's squad for World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia, with the twice former winners already qualified for Qatar 2022.
Argentina will play Chile in Santiago on January 27 and Colombia at home on February 1 with both opponents still in contention to qualify for the tournament.
Messi contracted the virus whilst on holiday in his hometown of Rosario in Argentina in December.
On January 5, PSG announced that Messi, who joined them from Barcelona last year, was back in France after testing negative.
This week, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner and Argentina captain was back in full training for the French club.
He missed the French Cup match against Vannes and two league games, the 1-1 draw with Lyon and last Saturday's 2-0 defeat of Brest.
In all, Messi has missed 10 league matches since his arrival at PSG in August, and will make his first appearance of 2022 on Sunday against Reims.
Messi is the only one of his fellow Argentine PSG team mates not to be called up for the qualifiers, with winger Angel Di Maria and midfielder Leandro Paredes among the squad announced by coach Lionel Scaloni.
There were few changes to the 27-strong squad, with Christian Romero of Tottenham out injured, and only two Argentine club players, both from River Plate: veteran goalkeeper Franco Armani and forward Julian Alvarez, who was voted the South American Footballer of the year in 2021.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani (River Plate), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa/ENG), Juan Musso (Atalanta/ITA), Esteban Andrada (Monterrey/MEX)
Defenders: Nahuel Molina (Udinese/ITA), Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla/ESP), German Pezzella (Real Betis/ESP), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica/POR), Lisandro Martinez (Ajax/NED), Lucas Martinez Quarta (Fiorentina/ITA), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax/NED), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla/ESP)
Midfielders: Lucas Ocampo (Sevilla/ESP), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Leandro Paredes (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis/SPA), Giovanni Lo Celso (Tottenham/ENG), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton/ENG), Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa/ENG), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla/ESP)
Forwards: Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina/ITA), Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/ITA), Julian Alvarez (River Plate), Joaquin Correa (Inter Milan/ITA)
J.Bergmann--BTB
