Position: Defender
Born: 09.05.78
Club: Roma

A surprise call-up for a get-together in Madrid earlier this month, Leandro Cufre obviously impressed Jose Pekerman as he won his place in the 23-man Argentina squad despite it being over a year since he earnt only his second international cap.

A hugely committed and talented individual, Cufre is something of a cult hero at Roma, where his work ethic makes him a fans' favourite even if he remains one of the few players at the club not to be linked with a move away.

Another of the men in this squad to have links with Pekerman going right back to the 1997 World Youth Championship, Cufre played 90 minutes of the qualifying campaign and will probably be a fringe member of the party.