Argentina World Cup squad: Jorge Sampaoli seeing sense on Paulo Dybala but it's heartbreak for Mauro Icardi

Jorge Sampaoli frequently makes trips to Europe to keep an eye on his leading players, often meeting with them to discuss their development, general happiness and to bring them goodies from their homeland. But this month, the Argentina coach came to the old continent with purpose.

A stop in Barcelona to meet up with his team's talisman, Lionel Messi, is always on the agenda and with Javier Mascherano in the same city for so long, it was a case of killing two birds with one piedra. England also proves a valuable diversion given the amount of Albiceleste players not playing their trade in the Premier League.

But Italy is arguably now as important a home to Argentina's chances, with the spine of Sampaoli's team all plying their trade in Serie A - and also the two most controversial figures in his squad.

Or should that be out of his squad?

Sampaoli stunned observers in March by leaving Paulo Dybala and Mauro Icardi - two of the best young forwards in Italy, perhaps even Europe - out of the squad for the final friendlies before the World Cup 23 is announced later this month.

Dybala hadn't played particularly well during the autumn international break and the feeling was that, in many ways, he is too similar to Messi, occupying the same areas and getting in the way of the world's best player.

The obvious answer was to take Dybala as Messi's back-up and a late-game option but Sampaoli wasn't sold. After all, "if Messi goes down, we're f****d anyway," as one coach with knowledge of the boss' thinking joked during the March international break.

Mauro Icardi was a separate case altogether. His last call-up came in November, alongside Dybala, as Argentina played Nigeria in a friendly and he looked to work his way into Sampaoli's thinking. Given that the former Sevilla coach had handed the 25-year-old striker his first recall in three years, it felt like a fresh start for the Inter captain but as quickly as he was picked up, he was dropped again.

Icardi's off-field antics - a celebrity wife, Wanda Nara, with whom he began a relationship while Nara was still with Icardi's former strike partner and compatriot Maxi Lopez - are often blamed for the fact he has just four international caps despite scoring 98 goals in 156 Inter games. Given Lopez is a friend of many in the Argentina squad, it would be a surprise if that had not entered the thinking of the coaching staff but this is one of the most prolific goalscorers in Serie A over the past few seasons. At what stage does football outstrip concerns over peripheral issues?

Nara and Icardi are a staple in the Argentine gossip mags and there is a feeling that they love - and indeed profit from - the attention, but now the stories swirling around Icardi are less welcome.

Sky Sports in Italy reports that Icardi was visited by Sampaoli this week, who explained that he will be on the World Cup long-list, a 35-man provisional squad, but is unlikely to make the final cut unless Sergio Aguero is deemed unfit. Pep Guardiola's comments on Friday suggest that the Manchester City forward will be fine, which means Messi's close friend and ally will be on the plance and the controversial young buck will be left behind.

Dybala, who many feel would be the more egregious absentee, had good news though. The Juventus striker will be going to the World Cup after all, according to Marcelo Sottile, who covers Argentina for Fox Sports in Latin America and previously Olé.

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It is a boost for neutrals, who principally care about having as many good players at the World Cup as possible, but it is also clearly a boon for the prospects of Argentina winning and giving Lionel Messi the one trophy he so craves.

Lautaro Martinez, the young Racing Club forward who was slated to replace Dybala, still might make the squad but even if he doesn't, this is a player who will have many World Cups in his future. Likely alongside Dybala.

But now Dybala will get one chance at trying to win a World Cup alongside Messi, for Messi and as a replacement for Messi.

It feels like Sampaoli coming to his senses but for Icardi, who has over 50 goals in the last two Serie A campaigns, it may well prove to be a difficult, disappointing summer.