Marcelo Bielsa has called-up Barcelona pair Javier Saviola and Juan Roman Riquelme, both of whom missed out on Argentina’s hugely disapointing World Cup campaign, for his squad for this month’s friendly away to Japan.

Bielsa has also dropped veteran midfielder, Diego Simeone, the man who has represented Argentina more than any other player.

The match is Argentina’s first since their shock first round elimination from the World Cup and the start of a new era for coach Marcelo Bielsa, who despite the disapppointing showing in the far east, kept his job.

Bielsa also called up uncapped Deportivo Coruna midfielder Lionel Scaloni, but omitted veteran striker Gabriel Batistuta, who said after Argentina’s World Cup exit that he was retiring from international football.

Squad:
Goalkeepers – Roberto Bonano (Barcelona, Spain), Pablo Cavallero (Celta, Spain)
Defenders – Roberto Ayala (Valencia, Spain), Mauricio Pochettino (Paris Saint Germain, France), Diego Placente (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Facundo Quiroga (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal), Juan Pablo Sorin (Lazio, Italy), Walter Samuel (AS Roma, Italy), Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan, Italy)
Midfielders – Lionel Scaloni (Deportivo Coruna, Spain), Juan Sebastian Veron (Manchester United, England), Juan Roman Riquelme (Barcelona, Spain), Matias Almeyda (Inter Milan), Santiago Solari (Real Madrid, Spain), Pablo Aimar, Kily Gonzalez (both Valencia, Spain).
Forwards – Claudio Lopez (Lazio, Italy), Ariel Ortega (Fenerbahce, Turkey), Javier Saviola (Barcelona, Spain), Hernan Crespo (Inter Milan, Italy).