Lionel Messi headlines Argentina squad for World Cup qualifiers

Lionel Messi headlines the Argentina squad for three South American World Cup qualifiers in October announced on Monday. The Argentines are away to Paraguay on 7 October before hosting Uruguay three days later and wrapping up against Peru on 14 October, also in Buenos Aires. Argentina, with 18 points, are second in the standings behind Brazil, who have amassed 24 points in eight matches. The 2022 World Cup will feature 32 teams and is to be held in Qatar between 21 November and 18 December. Three Premier League players - Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Tottenham pair Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero - are in the Argentina squad even though the country is on Britain’s coronavirus travel red list. Travellers from red-listed countries must quarantine for 10 days after arriving in the UK. Villa and Tottenham each have top-flight fixtures on the weekend of 16/17 October. Most English clubs refused to release players called up by South American countries for qualifiers staged earlier this month but Martinez, Villa team-mate Emiliano Buendia, Lo Celso and Romero were permitted to join up with their national team. That led to the dramatic abandonment of Argentina’s qualifier against Brazil in Sao Paulo when health officials came onto the pitch to stop the match, saying the England-based players needed to quarantine. The quartet returned to Britain via Croatia to avoid having to quarantine. Argentina squad Goalkeepers: Franco Armani (River Plate), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa/ENG), Juan Musso (Atalanta/ITA), Esteban Andrada (Monterrey/MEX) Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (Sevilla/ESP), Nahuel Molina Lucero (Udinese/ITA), Juan Foyth (Villarreal/ESP), Lucas Martinez Quarta (Fiorentina/ITA), German Pezzella (Real Betis/ESP), Cristian Romero (Tottenham/ENG), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica/POR), Lisandro Martinez (Ajax/NED), Marcos Acuna (Sevilla/ESP), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax/NED) Midfielders: Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Exequiel Palacios (Bayern Leverkusen/GER), Leandro Paredes (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Guido Rodriguez (Real Betis/ESP), Nicolas Dominguez (Bologna/ITA), Giovanni Lo Celso (Tottenham/ENG), Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla/ESP) Forwards: Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Lucas Alario (Bayern Leverkusen/GER), Paulo Dybala (Juventus/ITA), Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/ITA), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Joaquin Correa (Inter Milan/ITA), Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina/ITA), Julian Alvarez (River Plate)