BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli has called up Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero for two friendly matches in November and again left out Gonzalo Higuain.
Argentina travels to Moscow to face World Cup host Russia on Nov. 10 and then faces another team yet to be decided.
Sampaoli left Juventus striker Higuain out since he took over in June. Higuain has scored 32 goals in 69 games for the national side.
Higuain was a starter in the team that lost 1-0 to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final.
“It is up for us to analyze Higuain to see whether he will go the World Cup or not,” Sampaoli said. “He is a player that is very present.”
Aguero has been in fine form for City this season, scoring six league goals in as many games.
A bone fracture that kept him out of the last two World Cup qualifiers, against Peru and Ecuador. A hat-trick by Lionel Messi in Quito saw the Argentinians qualify in third place after a troubled campaign.
Sampaoli insisted it is possible for Messi and Juventus’ striker Paulo Dybala to play together, despite their preference for the same position on the pitch.
Dybala, who has yet to score for Argentina, has been kept on the bench in the last two matches.
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ARGENTINA:
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Nahuel Guzman (Tigres), Agustin Marchesin (America de Mexico).
Defenders: Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla), Federico Fazio (Roma), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), German Pezzella (Fiorentina), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Eduardo Salvio (Benfica), Emiliano Rigoni (Zenit St. Petersburg), Leandro Paredes (Zenit St. Petersburg), Lucas Biglia (AC Milan), Ever Banega (Sevilla), Marcos Acuna (Sporting Lisbon), Alejandro Gomez (Atalanta), Diego Perotti (Roma).
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain), Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan).
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