Copa America 2021: 5 Biggest stars who have been dropped from the tournament

#3 Mauro Icardi | Argentina

Argentina v Mexico - International Friendly

Paris Saint-Germain's Mauro Icardi is another player who has had an underwhelming campaign on an individual note. The Argentine star had impressed his new club enough for them to trigger his purchase option last year. However, he's had a forgettable season in the French capital, scoring just seven league goals in 20 appearances.

Icardi has generally found it difficult to find a spot in La Albiceleste's squad. He would have fancied his chances this time around given that Sergio Aguero has played less than 600 minutes of league football.

However, it was the 32-year-old who got the nod for their upcoming qualifying fixtures, signaling that Icardi is not in Lionel Scaloni's plans. Icardi is unlikely to make it to Copa America 2021.

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#2 James Rodriguez | Colombia

Colombia v Uruguay - South American Qualifiers for Qatar 2022

Among the names on this list so far, James Rodriguez's omission is arguably the most baffling one. The midfielder is one of Los Cafeteros' most important players, and despite his fitness concerns, few would have imagined him being removed from the squad altogether.

A statement regarding Rodriguez's omission read;

"In recent days, the midfielder [Rodriguez] underwent medical examinations, which determined that he is not at the optimum level of fitness to compete, which is why he will not be able to join the group of players called up by [head coach] Reinaldo Rueda for the aforementioned matches and the South American tournament."

The Everton star did not take this well, and understandably so. He released a detailed statement expressing his dismay, which read;

"I have received the statement from the coaching staff saying that they don't count on me and they wished me a full recovery, but this is a recovery I've already made."

Comunicado de prensa. pic.twitter.com/AwzYsKYlJo

— James Rodríguez (@jamesdrodriguez) May 28, 2021

"The above filled me with deep disappointment because for me, it means playing for my country. Not receiving the trust from the technical body breaks with everything and causes me enormous pain, since for the shirt of the Colombia team I have always left even my life."

Rodriguez won the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup and was viewed as the poster boy for Colombian football, making Reinaldo Rueda's decision a baffling one.

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#1 Paulo Dybala | Argentina

Ecuador v Argentina - International Friendly

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made headlines by excluding Paulo Dybala from his upcoming qualifiers and hinting that he is not a part of his plans. The Juventus superstar has had to endure a nightmare campaign at club level to begin with as Andrea Pirlo didn't seem to fancy him during the 2020-21 campaign. This, coupled with his injuries, have been a recipe for disaster.

Dybala has started just 14 games this season with a further six substitute appearances in the league, racking up four goals and three assists. The forward has been far from his best and suffered arguably his worst campaign in professional football.

Speaking on the 27-year-old's exclusion, Scaloni explained;

"He [Dybala] is a player that we always had, and we love but the lockers were almost complete and we had to make a decision. He hasn’t been playing the last few months and his club is going through a few problems with the standings and their game."

"It’s important that he joins us with rhythm, we will always have him in mind. Hopefully, he’s able to regain his form and that he can play to be able to decide later on."

Scaloni also went on to talk about how the team's needs always come first, strongly hinting that the out-of-form Argentine is unlikely to make it to the summer tournament.

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