FIFA 2018 World Cup: Top 5 players to miss Argentina's 23-man squad

Given the footballing giant that Argentina have historically been, there's almost always competition for places in the squad. Ahead of the 23-man squad announcement for the World Cup too, several big names were under threat of missing out on a coveted spot.

So when manager Jorge Sampaoli finally chose his team yesterday, there were high-profile misses as expected. Even if the Albiceleste don't boast the luxury of talents like France and Belgium, they're stuffed with the very cream of the crop, spearheaded by no one else but Lionel Messi.

And that's enough to see some players get ostracized from the final selections. Here are 5 such players who will miss Argentina's flight to Russia:

#5 Fernando Gago

Gago has had to contend with some horrific injuries in the recent past

Injuries have a bad habit of cropping up at the most inopportune times. And the Argentina veteran is among the unfortunate casualty to it. After a spate of serious Achilles injuries in 2016 and 2017 that kept him out of action for a total of 221 days, Gago was hit with another stumbling block in his faltering career. This time it was a cruciate ligament rupture, that sidelined him for 185 days.

The Boca Junior midfielder may not have been an integral part of the team, but he’s been a mainstay nonetheless - he played in 6 of the 7 games in Argentina’s 2014 World Cup and only 5 of the current 23-man squad have more caps under the belt than his 61.

At 32, he’s fast approaching the end of the road and this would’ve been the last chance to appear in a major competition with the Albiceleste. But the recurring injuries and the emergence of younger talents may have signalled the death knell already.

#4 Erik Lamela

For all his talent, Lamela is unfortunate to miss out

The Tottenham Hotspur star’s meteoric rise ran into a stone wall when he sustained a knock to the hip in October 2016 and missed all action for over a year. He only made his return in November last year and did show signs of resurgence.

He was used sparingly by manager Mauricio Pochettino, starting him in only 11 of the 31 games that he was available for. Yet, he managed to strike four times in all competitions and lay another 2 assists, whilst also maintaining an admirable 83% passing accuracy.

But Lamela’s contributions run deeper. He injects pressing intensity in a side and also instigates a transition with intelligent passes and sudden burst of acceleration. Very few players in the current Argentina squad are able to do that. He’s also adept at winning the ball high up against teams that like to sit deep, for example, group rivals Iceland.

The 26-year old is no doubt a technically gifted player and may be back on the international stage as soon as next year at the Copa America if he maintains fitness.

#3 Ezequiel Lavezzi

Lavezzi has impressed in the Chinese league

Since swapping the plush environs of Paris for the lesser lights of China, Ezequiel Lavezzi has been banished to the international wilderness. In fact, the 33-year old hasn’t been seen in the sky blue colours of Argentina since the conclusion of the Copa America Centenario in July 2016.

However, the player has impressed with Heibei China Fortune. Lavezzi struck 20 times in 27 appearances for the club last year, finishing as the league’s second most prolific. In another 11 games this calendar year, he’s had a hand in 10 goals overall. He’s also maintained a fine fettle in the last 2 years.

In the twilight of his career, the former PSG winger is enjoying some of his best days in front of goals and could’ve been a useful asset in the 4-2-3-1 formation, Sampaoli’s emergency choice and a set-up he thrived in at the Centenario competition. But the former Chile gaffe instead gave the nod to Independiente winger Maxi Meza, who’s an untested quantity at the international level.

#2 Diego Perotti

Perotti had a good season with Roma by all accounts

The AS Roma winger had a good season despite the recurring injuries - he missed 14 games due to muscle and calf problem. But that didn’t deter him from scoring 11 times and assisting on another 5 occasions in all competitions.

Primarily a left winger, Perotti didn’t seem to fit into Sampaoli’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, which pretty much explains a paltry return of just 2 appearances since he took over last year.

But Perotti brings tremendous pace down the flanks and can get past the most labyrinth set-up with his precocious dribbles. He was named in the 35-man preliminary squad and should’ve been retained in the final 23 too, as a backup at least.

#1 Mauro Icardi

Icardi's 29 goals for the season wasn't enough to win a World Cup spot

He’s been the top scorer for Inter Milan since the last 4 years, but Mauro Icardi’s fortunes on the international stage haven’t been as glorious. The 25-year old is the most marquee absentee from Argentina’s World Cup squad, and the Nerazzurri fans’ anguish is every bit plausible.

Icardi finished the 2017/18 season with his career-best figures of 29 goals - the joint-highest alongside Lazio’s Ciro Immobile and also fostered his side’s return to the Champions League after 6 years. He’s been one of the more consistent strikers in the league and still, it has helped him earn only 4 international caps.

The reason can be apportioned due to the presence of more glamorous names in the squad, but Icardi deserved a place at the World Cup. Gonzalo Higuain had an uneven season with Juventus and has come up short regularly at the biggest of the stages. Sergio Aguero has only recovered from an injury and doubts remain over his form.

Icardi was the only striker with a clean bill of health this season and also an impressive vein of form. That makes his exclusion all the more questionable.