Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi, joint top-scorer in Serie A, has been left out of Argentina's 23-man World Cup squad, while Juventus' Paulo Dybala has been included. Argentina boast a wealth of attacking talent with Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Juventus' Gonzalo Higuain and Manchester City's Sergio Aguero, alongside the 24-year-old Dybala. Including Aguero, Argentina head coach Jorge Sampaoli has selected six Premier League players in his squad - Nicolas Otamendi, Sergio Romero, Marcos Rojo, Manuel Lanzini and Willy Caballero. Paris Saint-Germain winger Angel Di Maria is also involved, he also featured in Argentina's last World Cup campaign in 2014 when they finished runners-up to Germany in Brazil. Former Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano, who joined Chinese club Hebei China Fortune in January, has been named in the squad but among the midfielders - a position he played for Liverpool. Image: Lionel Messi and Paulo Dybala will be in Russia Argentina line up against Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria in Group D. Argentina World Cup Squad Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Willy Caballero (Chelsea), Franco Armani (River Plate). Defenders: Cristian Ansaldi (Torino), Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Federico Fazio (Roma), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon). Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Hebei China Fortune), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Angel Di Maria (PSG), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham), Giovani Lo Celso (PSG), Ever Banega (Sevilla), Lucas Biglia (AC Milan), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica), Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors). Forwards: Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City).<doc-sep>After coming terribly close to their Promised Land in 2014, Argentina will be hoping to go one further in the 2018 FIFA World Cup this time around when they do it all over again in Russia in a week's time. A squad that has retained its core will be buoyed by the addition of a few promising youngsters to their side. With most of the players who played in the final in Rio, four years ago, drawing towards the end of their careers, this might be the last chance at glory for Lionel Messi and co. Their path to Russia was anything but comfortable, as Messi came up with his usual heroics in their final qualifying match to send them through, with the prospect of missing out on the competition altogether staring them in the face. Argentina's Group Fixtures and Venues Match 1: Argentina vs Iceland - 16 June, Friday, 21:00 local time (23:30 IST) at Spartak Stadium, Moscow Match 2: Argentina vs Croatia - 21 June, Wednesday, 21:00 local time (23:30 IST) at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod Match 3: Argentina vs Nigeria - 26 June, Monday, 21:00 local time (23:30 IST) at Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg Also read: Top 5 Group Games to Watch at the World Cup TV and Live Stream TV: Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 2 HD, Sony Ten 3, Sony Ten 3 HD Live Stream: Sony LIV Argentina Squad for the World Cup Plenty of fire-power up front for Argentina. GOALKEEPERS: Willy Caballero (Chelsea), Franco Armani (River Plate), Nahuel Guzman (Tigres). DEFENDERS: Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Federico Fazio (Roma), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Nicolas Taglafico (Ajax), Javier Mascherano (Hebei Fortune), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon), Cristian Ansaldi (Torino). MIDFIELDERS: Ever Banega (Sevilla), Lucas Biglia (AC Milan), Angel Di María, Giovani Lo Celso (both Paris St-Germain), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham), Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica). FORWARDS: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala (both Juventus), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City). Also read: Spain XI that will not be playing in the 2018 World Cup Argentina Coach: Jorge Sampaoli Jorge Sampaoli Jorge Samapoli took over the job of head coach of the Argentina National Team in 2017 and has only had a year at the helm. Sampaoli stunned observers in March by leaving Paulo Dybala and Mauro Icardi - two of the best young forwards in Italy, perhaps even Europe, out of the squad for the final friendlies before the World Cup 23 was announced in May. Dybala hadn't played particularly well during the autumn international break and the feeling was that, in many ways, he is too similar to Messi, occupying the same areas and getting in the way of the world's best player. However, the manager decided to make place for the Juve man in the squad, but his compatriot with rivals Inter lost out despite having arguably his best season ever in which he scored 29 goals in 34 league appearances. It will be interesting to see how he copes with the pressure of leaving one of the hottest strikers in world football at the moment and find a system to use both Messi and Dybala together. Argentina Predicted XI Formation: 3-4-3 Line-up: Caballero; Rojo , Otamendi, Fazio; Mercado, Biligia, Lo Celso, Taglafico; di Maria, Aguero, Messi. Predicted Argentina line-up Argentina World Cup History Semifinals: 5 Finals: 5 Titles: 2 (1978, 1986) Argentina Prediction A quarter-final exit seems most likely for the Argentine national side as they will probabl come up against the likes of Colombia, Spain, Germany or England in each of the knock-out fixtures following the group stages. We feel that those teams have the measure of this current Argentina side and it would be an upset of sorts if they manage to beat any of those teams, let alone three on their way to the final this summer. They genuinely have a shot of beating Colombia or England in the round of sixteen, but it is getting increasingly difficult to see Argentina get past either the German or the Spanish side in the quarter-finals. This is, however, a cup competition, and the biggest one in the world at that. We've seen miracles on a grander scale take place in the World Cup and with the miracle of Messi already on their side they have plenty to be hopeful about.<doc-sep>The Inter star had been included in the Albiceleste shortlist but is overlooked in favour of Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain up front Mauro Icardi will have to watch the 2018 World Cup from the sidelines after being excluded from Argentina's final 23-man Russia squad. The Inter star scored for the Nerazzurri on Sunday as they completed a famous comeback to beat Lazio 3-2 and squeeze into the Champions League ahead of the Rome side. But despite finishing the season as Serie A top scorer on 29 goals, Icardi has been overlooked by Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli. Sampaoli takes just two specialist centre-forwards to Russia - recovering Manchester City star Sergio Aguero and Juventus' Gonzalo Higuain. The forward line-up is completed by captain Lionel Messi, Juve's Paulo Dybala and 22-year-old Boca Juniors winger Cristian Pavon. Elsewhere, Manchester United reserve Sergio Romero prepares for his third World Cup campaign after making the squad alongside fellow goalkeepers Willy Caballero and Franco Armani, drafted in after impressing for Atletico Nacional and River Plate in recent years. There is also a call-up for Marcos Rojo, who managed just nine Premier League appearances for United in a season ravaged by injury. In total just eight members of the Albiceleste squad that made the World Cup final in 2014 are called up for Russia. Messi, Aguero, Higuain, Romero, Rojo, Javier Mascherano, Lucas Biglia and Angel Di Maria are the survivors, while the likes of Giovani Lo Celso, Pavon, Maxi Meza and Nicolas Tagliafico are among a host of players with less than 10 caps. Argentina will take on Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria in the group phase, after coming through a tortuous qualifying campaign on the final day thanks to a famous hat-trick from Lionel Messi to down Ecuador. Argentina's World Cup squad: Goalkeepers: Nahuel Guzman (Tigres UANL), Willy Caballero (Manchester City), Franco Armani (River Plate). Article continues below Defenders: Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Cristian Ansaldi (Torino), Nicolas Otamendi (Man City), Federico Fazio (Roma), Marcos Rojo (Man United), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax), Marcos Acuna (Sporting), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica). Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Hebei), Lucas Biglia (Milan), Ever Banega (Sevilla), Giovani Lo Celso (PSG), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham), Angel Di Maria (PSG), Maxi Meza (Independiente). Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Sergio Aguero (Man City), Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus), Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors).<doc-sep>
Last updated on .From the section World Cup Argentina are aiming for a third World Cup success in Russia Forwards Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain have all been included in Argentina's 23-man squad for the World Cup in Russia. But Serie A's joint top scorer, Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi, is left out. Aguero is joined by five other Premier League players including Manchester City team-mate Nicolas Otamendi. West Ham's Manuel Lanzini, Manchester United pair Sergio Romero and Marcos Rojo, and Chelsea's Willy Caballero are the other England-based players. Everton defender Ramiro Funes Mori, who made only four first-team appearances last season because of injury, has been left out, having been named in manager Jorge Sampaoli's provisional squad. Argentina begin their World Cup campaign against Iceland on 16 June before games against Croatia and Nigeria in Group D. They almost failed to qualify for the finals in Russia, before a hat-trick from Barcelona forward Messi in their final qualification game. Despite fielding a number of Europe's best attacking players, Sampaoli's side only scored 19 goals in 18 qualifying matches. Icardi has been left out despite scoring 29 goals in 34 games in Italy's top flight this season. Argentina squad Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Willy Caballero (Chelsea), Franco Armani (River Plate). Defenders: Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Federico Fazio (Roma), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), Marcos Rojo (Manchester United), Nicolas Taglafico (Ajax), Javier Mascherano (Hebei Fortune), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon), Cristian Ansaldi (Torino). Midfielders: Ever Banega (Sevilla), Lucas Biglia (AC Milan), Angel Di Maria, Giovani Lo Celso (both Paris St-Germain), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham), Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors), Maximiliano Meza (Independiente), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica). Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala (both Juventus), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City).