Argentina confirm squad with no number 10
MAY 22nd: Argentina's number 10 shirt made famous by Diego Maradona will not be making an appearance when the squad embark on their quest for a third World Cup.
Coach Marcelo Bielsa's official 23-man squad, handed to reporters at their Japanese World Cup bunker at Naraha on FIFA deadline day today, had the players numbered from one to 24 with no number 10.
FIFA recently authorised the Argentine Football Association to drop the shirt in honour of Maradona, who led his country to their second World Cup victory in Mexico in 1986.
The squad list had third-choice goalkeeper Roberto Bonano as number 24 with the 23 shirt going to River Plate's Ariel Ortega, the last man to wear 10 during the World Cup qualifiers that ended in October.
Key playmaking midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron of Manchester United is number 11.
Claudio Caniggia, a veteran sidekick of Maradona's in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, was confirmed for his third tournament at the age of 35 after recovering from a knee injury.
Bielsa waited until the last minute to send in his definitive squad, confirming the 23 players he called up to pre-tournament training in Rome two weeks ago.
Caniggia, number 21, has been nursing an injury sustained while playing for his club Rangers during the Scottish Cup final against Celtic in Glasgow earlier this month.
His fitness for the Korea/Japan finals starting on May 31st has put paid to Barcelona 20-year-old Javier Saviola's slim hopes of a last-minute inclusion.
Veteran striker Gabriel Batistuta has retained the number nine shirt but is not a certainty to start the opening match against Nigeria in Ibaraki on June 2nd.
He is in competition with Hernan Crespo for the central striker's role. - Reuters
Squad:
1-German Burgos, 2-Roberto Ayala, 3-Juan Pablo Sorin, 4-Mauricio Pochettino, 5-Matias Almeyda, 6-Walter Samuel, 7-Claudio Lopez, 8-Javier Zanetti, 9-Gabriel Batistuta, 11-Juan Sebastian Veron, 12-Pablo Cavallero, 13-Diego Placente, 14-Diego Simeone, 15-Claudio Husain, 16-Pablo Aimar, 17-Gustavo Lopez, 18-Kily Gonzalez, 19-Hernan Crespo, 20-Marcelo Gallardo, 21-Claudio Caniggia, 22-Jose Chamot, 23-Ariel Oretga, 24-Roberto Bonano.
