BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) — Buenos Aires, Argentina (Xinhua) — Despite fitness worries, Lionel Messi has been included to Argentina's roster for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil, according to the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
Messi was unable to play in PSG's 2-2 tie at Leipzig in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday due to hamstring and knee issues, which are not believed to be significant.
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni included Juventus striker Paulo Dybala, who has recovered from a thigh injury that kept him out of the Albiceleste's qualifiers in October.
Enzo Fernandez, Santiago Simon, Exequiel Zeballos, Cristian Medina, Gaston Avila, Federico Gomes, and Matias Soule are among the 34-man squad's additions.
Argentina will face Uruguay on November 12 in Montevideo and Brazil four days later in Buenos Aires.
With seven wins and four draws from 11 matches, the two-time World Cup winners are presently second in the South American qualification group, six points behind Brazil.
Argentina's team is as follows:
Goalkeepers : River Plate's Franco Armani, Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, Atlanta's Juan Musso, and Gerth's Federico Gomes (Tigre).
Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla), Nahuel Molina Lucero (Udinese), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), German Pezzella (Real Betis), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Lucas Martinez Quarta (Fiorentina), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax), Lisandro Martinez (Ajax), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla), Gaston Avila (Sevilla), Nicolas Tagli
Midfielders: Guido Rodriguez (Betis), Leandro Paredes (PSG), Enzo Fernandez (River Plate), Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico de Madrid), Exequiel Palacios (Bayern Leverkusen), Giovanni Lo Celso (Tottenham), Nicolas Dominguez (Bologna), Santiago Simon (River Plate), Cristian Medina (Boca Juniors), Matias Soule (Juventus), Thiago Almada (Velez Sarsfield).
Forwards: Angel Di Maria (PSG), Lionel Messi (PSG), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Angel Correa (Atletico de Madrid), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Julian Alvarez (River Plate), Joaquin Correa (Inter Milan), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina), Ezequiel Zeballos (Boca Juniors).