Ayala out of Argentina squad

Ayala was injured on Thursday playing for Valencia in their Uefa Cup quarter final, second leg defeat to Internazionale at the Mestalla.

The centre half removed himself from the European tie with 10 minutes remaining after suffering a strain to his right thigh.

Ayala's absence will be a blow to Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa, who also had to remove Lazio striker Hernan Crespo from his 24-man squad against the African Cup of Nations holders.

The former River Plate hit-man suffered ligament damage to his right ankle in training when he collided with Sinisa Mihajlovic ahead of their Serie A clash with Udinese.

The extent of Crespo's ankle injury is not yet known, as tests will determine how long the goalscoring ace will be out.

The injuries will be a concern for Bielsa, who is likely to do without Eduardo Berizzo and Nelson Vivas for the finals.