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Choosing a 23-man squad for the World Cup is a tough thing to do for almost every national team manager.
Widely regarded as healthy before a World Cup, competition for places in every position intensifies, as players are eager to impress and make the cut, although the process of elimination could leave a few players down in the dumps.
With the competition for places being very intense, players will be selected mostly based on club performances and value added to the national team squad for the upcoming tournament.
Jorge Sampaoli will face a tricky test while selecting his squad for the tournament and here we take look at five players who might not make the Argentinian World Cup squad.
#5 Enzo Perez
The former Valencia midfielder and current River Plate player, Perez, could miss out on a spot in Jorge Sampaoli's team for the World Cup this summer.
With the competition for a spot in the national team heating up, Perez's place in central midfield is far from certain, as Lucas Biglia, Pablo Perez and a number of other experienced and talented players are also vying for a spot.
The River Plate midfielder moved back to Argentina from Spain before the start of the season and has struggled to find his feet since the move. Perez, who is a calm distributor of the ball and a fierce competitor while retrieving the ball could be a good addition to the team.
However, he will need to step up his game to earn his place back in the squad. Sampaoli will make no compromises when it comes to team selection and it will depend on the players' performances for their respective clubs.
#4 Ezequiel Lavezzi
In what was widely considered a strange move in 2016, the 32-year-old Argentinian international, Lavezzi joined Chinese Super League outfit Hebei China Fortune from PSG.
As his contract came to close at the end of 2017, Lavezzi re-signed for the CSL club and continues to ply his trade in the CSL. The former PSG forward will be vying for a place in his country's World Cup squad, but Lavezzi will need put on some superb displays in order to attract Sampaoli.
A move to Europe could have helped the player's chances but that fell out. However, Lavezzi still maintains an outside shot at making the World Cup, given his experience at the highest level of the game. A small outside shot at a spot in the squad is all the hope the player has, given the plethora of talent available to the manager to select from.
#3 Manuel Lanzini
Despite being in scintillating form for West Ham United, Lanzini only stands an outside chance of being picked for the Mundial.
One of the better Hammers players of this Premier League season, Lanzini started the season off well and continues to push for a place in Argentina's World Cup squad despite his club's struggles. Lanzini has been West Ham's biggest threat going forward with Marko Arnautovic and has 3 goals and 6 assists to his name.
Having helped West Ham climb out of the relegation zone after a poor start to the season, he has gone from strength to strength in every game. Manager Sampaoli will be considering the young player but could opt to choose more experienced and higher calibre players.
With the likes of Paulo Dybala, Lionel Messi and a host of other attacking players, Lanzini's inclusion seems unlikely. However, if he keeps putting in stellar shifts in the Premier League until the end of the season, he could make a surprise addition to the Argentinian WC squad.
#2 Javier Pastore
Pastore is another high profile name in the Argentinian ranks who could possibly miss out on a spot in the World Cup squad. With insufficient game time this season, Pastore has expressed interest in a move away from the club.
However, with the World Cup just a few months away, he will have to do everything possible to break into PSG's starting 11 and produce spectacular displays. Sampaoli will be closely following his players and looking for them to showcase good displays and continue their good form.
A manager with great knowledge and expertise on the game will be heading into his second consecutive World Cup. Pastore could play in his second tournament as well but will have to improve his performances in order to make the squad of 23.
#1 Mauro Icardi
24-year-old Inter Milan captain and striker, Mauro Icardi is another huge player who might not make the World Cup squad. Despite consistent performances and a potent goalscoring threat in every game leading the line for Inter, Icardi might be left out of the squad.
Argentina has a strong striking department with the likes of Messi, Dybala, Higuain and Aguero all in contention to spearhead the line.
Icardi has performed magnificently for Inter since his move from Sampdoria in 2013 and has eagerly awaited his turn to represent his country. It might be a little while longer for the young striker as the competition for places intensifies with the World Cup drawing nearer.
The aggressive striker, Icardi, known for his supreme goalscoring prowess is a huge attraction that might not make the Argentinian team for this summer's World Cup. Sampaoli will have a difficult time selecting his attacking options with the number of top quality players he has at his disposal to choose from.
