Argentina include Messi, Heinze for Australia friendly

MELBOURNE, Aug 28 (Reuters) Argentina coach Alfio Basile named Real Madrid's Gabriel Heinze and Barcelona's Lionel Messi in a 21-man squad for the international friendly against Australia in Melbourne next month.

Basile named a strong party with Real's new signing Heinze included alongside club team mate Javier Saviola, Liverpool's Javier Mascherano, Manchester United's Carlos Tevez and Hernan Crespo of Inter Milan.

Influential midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme has been left out for the clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sepember 11.The match was originally scheduled for June but Argentina asked for a postponement fearing they could not muster a strong enough squad.

The match will be Australia's first since losing on penalties to Japan in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup.

Argentina squad: Roberto Abbondanzieri (Getafe), Oscar Ustari (Getafe), Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar); Gabriel Heinze (Real Madrid), Daniel Diaz (Getafe), Gabriel Milito (Barcelona), Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna), Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan), Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan); Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich), Jonas Gutierrez (Mallorca), Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Federico Insua (America, Mexico), Cristian Ledesma (Olympiakos), Maxi Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid); Javier Saviola (Real Madrid), Hernan Crespo (Inter Milan), Carlos Tevez (Manchester United), Lionel Messi (Barcelona).

REUTERS TB ND1210