Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez returns to the Argentina squad after missing the last international window through suspension.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has returned to the Argentina squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru.
Martinez was left out of the squad for the October international window after being hit with a two-match ban for “offensive behaviour”.
As a result, the 32-year-old was forced to miss a 1-1 draw against Venezuela and a dominant 6-0 victory over Bolivia.
However, Martinez is set to return to the Argentina set-up after being selected in Lionel Scaloni‘s 28-man squad for World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru.
The former Arsenal man is expected to replace Geronimo Rulli in between the posts, with the Marseille goalkeeper set to drop to the bench after featuring in both of last month’s internationals.
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Dybala misses out on Argentina selection
In contrast to Martinez, Roma’s Paulo Dybala has been left disappointed after being omitted from Scaloni’s squad for the upcoming fixtures.
The 30-year-old playmaker would have been holding out for a recall after missing October’s international fixtures due to injury.
However, his performances for Roma have failed to convince Scaloni that he is worthy of a place in his 28-man squad.
Dybala has scored just two goals in nine competitive appearances for a Roma side that have experienced a tumultuous time in the opening few months of the season.
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Barrenchea earns surprise call-up
Enzo Barrenechea has earned his international call-up after doing enough to impress Scaloni with his performances for Valencia.
The midfielder, who is on loan at Los Che from Aston Villa, has made seven appearances for Ruben Baraja‘s side and scored his first La Liga goal in a draw against Getafe last month.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi will continue to lead his country after returning from injury to feature in both matches in the last international window, including a stellar display against Bolivia in Buenos Aires, where he scored a hat-trick and provided two assists in a 5-0 victory.
The 37-year-old will try to help Inter Miami avoid elimination from the MLS playoffs before he links up with the squad.
Argentina’s 28-man squad in full
Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven)
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), German Pezzella (River Plate), Nehuen Perez (Porto), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon)
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Roma), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid),
Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Enzo Barrenechea (Valencia), Nicolas Paz (Como), Thiago Almada (Botafogo), Facundo Buonanotte (Leicester City)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Nico Gonzalez (Juventus), Valentin Castellanos (Lazio)