Lionel Messi will spearhead Argentina's attack against arch-rivals Brazil next month but there was no place in the squad for Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero. Inter Milan forward Mauro Icardi replaces Aguero in a squad believed to have been chosen by Jorge Sampaoli, the Sevilla coach who is poised to take over Argentina in a bid to rescue their World Cup hopes. Playmaker Manuel Lanzini, who has enjoyed a good season for West Ham in the Premier League, gets his first international call-up.
Before they get back to the business of qualifying for Russia 2018 in August, Messi and Argentina play Brazil in a June 9 friendly in Melbourne in what is likely to be Sampaoli's first game in charge of his country. Four days later Argentina travel to Singapore for a friendly against the city-state. Barcelona star Messi had a four-game ban from competitive internationals for swearing at an assistant referee lifted earlier this month, giving a major boost to Argentina's foundering World Cup hopes. They are fifth in qualifying in South America, with only the top four earning automatic places in Russia.
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