World Cup 2014: Martin Demichelis IN Argentina preliminary squad but Carlos Tevez OUT as he will be in Disney World
Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero also make the squad
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Your support makes all the difference.Argentina head coach Alejandro Sabella has named a 30-man preliminary squad for next month's World Cup in Brazil featuring three players from Premier League champions Manchester City.
Pablo Zabaleta, Sergio Aguero and, perhaps surprisingly, Martin Demichelis are all included in the party which will be trimmed to 23 names before the tournament.
As expected, former City and Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez was not summoned despite a prolific season with Serie A champions Juventus.
Tevez has not been considered by Sabella in the national team of late and had already said he would be at Disney World with his family, rather than in the squad.
Demichelis is not the only surprise selection, with River Plate defender Gabriel Mercado and Catania midfielder Fabian Rinaudo also selected.
Aguero is joined in a typically fearsome array of attacking options by Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Paris St Germain's Ezequiel Lavezzi, Gonzalo Higuain of Napoli, Inter Milan's Rodrigo Palacio and Franco Di Santo of Werder Bremen.
Sabella admitted he had to make some tough decisions even in selecting his initial 30 names.
"I apologise to the ones who have not been included," Sabella told reporters in Buenos Aires.
"I'm tremendously thankful to the ones who are not in the list. I had to make a difficult decision. I had to choose."
Sabella added he wants "sacrifice, humitity and sense of teamwork" as well as "a sense of belonging to a country, a shirt and a group."
The coach commented: "We'll bring our best. We are all in the same boat from now on."
Argentina squad:
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Monaco), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Agustin Orion (Boca Juniors).
Defenders: Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Federico Fernandez (Napoli), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon), Jose Basanta (Monterrey), Hugo Campagnaro (Inter Milan), Nicolas Otamendi (Atletico Mineiro), Lisandro Lopez (Getafe), Gabriel Mercado (River Plate), Martin Demichelis (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Ever Banega (Newell's Old Boys), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Maxi Rodriguez (Newell's Old Boys), Ricardo Alvarez (Inter Milan), Augusto Fernandez (Celta Vigo), Jose Sosa (Atletico Madrid), Enzo Perez (Benfica), Fabian Rinaudo (Catania).
Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris St Germain), Rodrigo Palacio (Inter Milan), Franco Di Santo (Werder Bremen).
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