Zanetti, Cambiasso back for Argentina

Interim Argentina coach Sergio Batista on Friday recalled Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Andres D’Alessandro to face world champions Spain in a September 7 friendly in Buenos Aires.

Inter Milan pair Zanetti and Cambiasso were left out of the World Cup squad by then coach Diego Maradona despite coming off a treble-winning season topped off by a Champions League triumph.

D’Alessandro also had a fine club campaign with Brazilian outfit Internacional, but the trio were not to Maradona’s taste and missed out on the team’s run to the quarter-finals in South Africa.

Spain, who landed their first World Cup win in July to add to their Euro 2008 success, won the countries’ last meeting in a November 2009 friendly.

Argentina squad

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar/NED), Mariano Andujar (Catania/ITA), Agustin Marchesin (Lanus)

Defenders: Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich/GER), Walter Samuel, Nicolas Burdisso, Javier Zanetti (all Inter Milan/ITA), Gabriel Heinze (Marseille/FRA), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City/ENG), Gabriel Milito (Barcelona/ESP)

Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool/ENG), Angel Di Maria, Fernando Gago (both Real Madrid/ESP), Ever Banega (Valencia/ENG), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan/ITA), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina/ITA), Andres D’Alessandro (Internacional/BRA)

Forwards: Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid/ESP), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City/ENG), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/ESP), Diego Milito (Inter Milan/ITA), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli/ITA)