Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was named Thursday in the Argentina team to travel to Japan for a friendly next month, despite injuring his right ankle last weekend in a match against Atletico Madrid.
Messi is expected to miss at least two Spanish league games.
Media reports in Argentina said the Argentine Football Association will collect an additional $200,000 if Messi - the FIFA player of the year in 2009 - is included in the squad.
The Oct. 8 friendly at Saitama, Japan will be the third match for interim Argentina coach Sergio Batista. He won the first two, defeating Ireland 1-0 and World Cup champion Spain 4-1.
Batista is the leading candidate to replace Diego Maradona, whose contract was not renewed following Argentina's 4-0 loss to Germany in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Oscar Ustari (Getafe), Mariano Andujar (Catania), Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar).
Defenders: Gabriel Milito (Barcelona), Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan), Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich), Gabriel Heinze (Olimpique Marseille).
Midfielders: Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan), Jose Sosa (Napoli), Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina), Javier Pastore (Palermo), Andres D'Alessandro (Internacional, Brazil).
Forwards: Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), Diego Milito (Inter Milan), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica).
