Lionel Scaloni has kept his promise to leave star forward Lionel Messi out of friendly matches against Iraq and Brazil next month.
Argentina faces Iraq on Oct. 11 and Brazil five days later, with three players having the chance to make their debuts in those games.
Defender Juan Foyth (Tottenham) and midfielders Rodrigo De Paul (Udinese) and Roberto Pereyra (Watford) were all called up for the first time on Friday.
Scaloni is in charge until the end of the year before handing the team to a successor, with Messi’s international future still uncertain. The Barcelona striker’s exclusion does not come as a surprise after Scaloni recently said that he wouldn’t be picked. However, Argentina federation president Claudio Tapia said he fully expects Messi to play for La Albiceleste again.
Messi was left frustrated after scoring only one goal, and missing a penalty, at the World Cup earlier this year.
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