Uruguay’s new coach Marcelo Bielsa left veteran strikers Edinson Cavani and Luis Su?rez out of his squad Monday for the first two rounds of South American World Cup qualifying.
Bielsa took the Uruguay job in May with the aim of rejuvenating the squad, and 30-year-old goalkeeper Sergio Rochet is the oldest player picked for the games against Chile in Montevideo on Friday and at Ecuador on Sept. 12.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
Cavani and Su?rez are both 36 and are playing for South American clubs now. Cavani is at Boca Juniors in Argentina and Su?rez plays for Gremio in Brazil.
Liverpool’s Darwin N??ez is expected to lead Uruguay’s attack.
Bielsa also included two strikers playing in MLS: Orlando City’s Facundo Torres and LAFC’s Cristian Olivera.
Full Uruguay Squad:
Goalkeepers: Sergio Rochet (Internacional), Franco Israel (Sporting Lisbon) and Santiago Mele (Junior Barranquilla)
Defenders: Santiago Bueno (Girona), Bruno M?ndez (Corinthians), Sebastian C?cares (Am?rica de Mexico), Puma Rodr?guez (Vasco da Gama), Math?as Olivera (Napoli), Joaqu?n Piquerez (Palmeiras), Mat?as Vi?a (Sassuolo), and Lucas Olaza (Krasnodar).
Midfielders: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Nahitan N?ndez (Cagliari), Felipe Carballo (Gremio), Emiliano Mart?nez (Midtjylland), Manuel Ugarte (Paris Saint-Germain), and Nicol?s de la Cruz (River Plate).
Forwards: Agust?n Canobbio (Athletico Paranaense), Maximiliano Ara?jo (Toluca), Facundo Torres (Orlando City), Brian Rodr?guez (Am?rica de Mexico), Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United), Cristian Olivera (LAFC), Maxi G?mez (C?diz), and Darwin N??ez (Liverpool).