Hours after announcing his first Argentina domestic squad for the double-header of friendlies against Brazil next month, Alejandro Sabella has announced his first Argentina senior squad. These players will form the teams to take on Venezuela in Calcutta and Nigeria in Dhaka at the start of September (the 2nd and 6th, respectively). Carlos Tevez is the big exclusion – perhaps not that surprising given he was rubbish in the Copa América and appears frozen out at Manchester City.
Goalkeepers
Sergio Romero (Sampdoria, Italy)
Estaban Andrada (Lanús)
Mariano Andújar (Catania, Italy)
Defenders
Martín Demichelis (Málaga, Spain)
Federico Fernández (Napoli, Italy)
Nicolás Burdisso (Roma, Italy)
Ezequiel Garay (Benfica, Portugal)
Nicolás Otamendi (Porto, Portugal)
Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City, England)
Cristian Ansaldi (Rubin Kazan, Russia)
Nicolás Pareja (Spartak Moscow, Russia)
Marcos Rojo (Spartak Moscow)
Midfielders
Ángel Di María (Real Madrid, Spain)
Javier Mascherano (Barcelona, Spain)
Ever Banega (Valencia, Spain)
Ricardo Álvarez (Internazionale, Italy)
Fabián Rinaudo (Sporting Clube de Portugal, Portugal)
Jonás Gutiérrez (Newcastle United, England)
Javier Pastore (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Luis González (Olympique Marseille, France)
José Sosa (Metalist Kharkiv, Ukraine)
Forwards
Gonzalo Higuaín (Real Madrid)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Eduardo Salvio (Atlético de Madrid, Spain)
Sergio Agüero (Manchester City)
Lisandro López (Olympique Lyonnais, France)
You can follow the latest news from the selección and Argentina’s foreign legion of players, as well as the domestic championship, River Plate’s first second division campaign in over a century and the ever entertaining/tragic/infuriating capers of Julio Grondona & chums direct from Buenos Aires with HEGS on Twitter. If you’ve not signed up yet you can do so here. You can also join the official HEGS Facebook group, to keep up to date with the latest posts on the blog and discuss things with other fans. You’ll find it here. And remember to bookmark Hand Of Pod, our Argentine football podcast, or if you prefer you can subscribe to it on iTunes here.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 
Some nice choices by Sabella. Even though I’m a Carlitos supporter I think his exclusion is a very good idea. It will give him time to sort out things at City, or not, find a club, and then get in mental and physical shape to play the kind of football he can play.
Hooray for Lisandro Lopez and Spiderman.
Hey just out of curiosity, with Mascherano stepping more fully into a CB role with Barça and Argentina’s being desperate on the back line, what do you think about the chances of him moving back with the national team, too?