Argentina’s Zanetti, Cambiasso, Gago to miss World Cup

BUENOS AIRES - Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso, Gabriel Milito and Fernando Gago will not be playing in the World Cup in South Africa,

The provisional 30-man squad that was made public Tuesday.

Even these were not major surprises, and the squad picked by Argentine football legend Diego Maradona - now the national team coach - featured the likes of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Juan Sebastian Veron, as well as veteran striker Martin Palermo.

Surprise picks included Ariel Garce, Sebastian Blanco, Juan Manuel Insaurralde and Juan Mercier, all of them still playing professionally in Argentina, though Maradona was expected to drop at least some of them May 17, when the definitive 23-man World Cup squad is announced.

Zanetti and Cambiasso play leading roles at Inter Milan, which is pursuing a historic treble this season. Gabriel Milito is slowly coming back into action after a long injury, while Gago has hardly played this year with Real Madrid.

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Mariano Andujar (Catania, Italy) and Diego Pozo (Colon Santa Fe, Argentina).

Defenders: Nicolas Burdisso (Roma, Italy), Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle, England), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich, Germany) Ariel Garce (Colon Santa Fe, Argentina), Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille, France), Juan Manuel Insaurralde (Newell’s Old Boys, Argentina), Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield, Argentina), Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes La Plata, Argentina) and Walter Samuel (Inter Milan, Italy).

Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool, England), Sebastian Blanco (Lanus, Argentina), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina, Italy), Jesus Datolo (Olympiakos, Greece), Angel Di Maria (Benfica, Portugal), Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle, England), Juan Ignacio Mercier (Argentinos Juniors, Argentina), Javier Pastore (Palermo, Italy), Maximiliano Rodriguez (Liverpool, England), Jose Sosa (Estudiantes La Plata, Argentina) and Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes La Plata, Argentina).

Strikers: Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Spain), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, Spain), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid, Spain), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli, Italy), Diego Milito (Inter Milan, Italy), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors, Argentina) and Carlos Tevez (Manchester City, England).