World Cup: Batistuta left out again

Gabriel Batistuta has been left out of the Argentina squad for their World Cup warm-up game with Cameroon on March 27.

The Roma striker, Argentina’s record goalscorer with 55 goals in 75 games, has played only once for his country in the last year and it is still not certain if he will make the trip to Japan and South Korea in the summer.

Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa’s preferred strikeforce is Lazio pair Hernan Crespo and Claudio Lopez.

With Javier Saviola, Ariel Ortega and Kily Gonzalez also able to fill the two attacking positions, Batistuta must hope his league form improves if he is to catch Bielsa’s eye.

Another striker to come into contention is Rangers’ 35-year-old Claudio Caniggia, who is named again after returning from the international wilderness for Argentina’s last game with Wales in Cardiff.

The venue for the match against the 2002 African Cup of Nations champions has yet to be decided.

The foreign based players in the squad are: German Burgos, Pablo Cavallero, Jose Chamot, Walter Samuel, Roberto Ayala, Mauricio Pochettino, Diego Placente, Juan Pablo Sorin, Matias Almeyda, Javier Zanetti, Juan Sebastian Veron, Marcelo Gallardo, Pablo Aimar, Claudio Lopez, Hernan Crespo, Gustavo Lopez, Kily Gonzalez, Claudio Caniggia