Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has called up six Italy-based players for the team's first two World Cup qualifiers despite the country's lockdown to combat the coronavirus.
Barcelona star Lionel Messi was also included in the squad, despite President Alberto Fernández's government having imposed restrictions on people travelling from Italy, Spain, Germany and France. Returning Argentines are supposed to be quarantined for 14 days, regardless of showing symptoms or not.
It was unclear how the Argentine Football Association (AFA) will handle those cases.
The Albiceleste starts its campaign to reach the 2022 World Cup on March 26 against Ecuador at Boca Juniors' La Bombonera stadium, but Messi is suspended for that game. However, is eligible to play against Bolivia in La Paz on March 31.
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Squad
Goalkeepers: Juan Musso (Udinese)
Defenders: Nehuén Pérez (Famalicao), Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City), Renzo Saravia (Internacional), Germán Pezzella (Fiorentina), Nicolás Tagliafico (Ajax), Leonardo Balerdi (Borussia Dortmund)
Midfielders: Guido Rodríguez (Real Betis), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Roberto Pereyra (Watford), Rodrigo De Paul (Udinese), Marcos Acuña (Sporting Lisbon), Leandro Paredes (Paris Saint-Germain), Nicolás Domínguez (Bologna), Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Sergio Agüero (Manchester City), Lucas Ocampos (Sevilla), Lucas Alario (Bayer Leverkusen), Nicolás González (Stuttgart), Paulo Dybala (Juventus) and Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan)
– TIMES/AP
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