Cavani, Suárez out Uruguay’s World Cup qualifying squad

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP):

Uruguay's new coach, Marcelo Bielsa, left veteran strikers Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez out of his squad yesterday for the first two rounds of South American World Cup qualifying.

Bielsa took the Uruguay job in May, aiming to rejuvenate the squad, and 30-year-old goalkeeper Sergio Rochet is the oldest player picked for the games against Chile in Montevideo on Friday and in Ecuador on September 12.

Cavani and Suarez are both 36 and are now playing for South American clubs. Cavani is at Boca Juniors in Argentina, and Suarez plays for Gremio in Brazil.

Liverpool's Darwin Nunez is expected to lead Uruguay's attack.

Bielsa also included two strikers playing in the MLS -- Orlando City's Facundo Torres and Los Angeles FC's Cristian Olivera.

SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Rochet (Internacional), Franco Israel (Sporting Lisbon) and Santiago Mele (Junior Barranquilla)

Defenders: Santiago Bueno (Girona), Bruno Mendez (Corinthians), Sebastian Cacares (America de Mexico), Puma Rodriguez (Vasco da Gama), Mathias Olivera (Napoli), Joaquin Piquerez (Palmeiras), Matias Vina (Sassuolo), and Lucas Olaza (Krasnodar).

Midfielders: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Nahitan Nandez (Cagliari), Felipe Carballo (Gremio), Emiliano Martinez (Midtjylland), Manuel Ugarte (Paris Saint-Germain), and Nicolas de la Cruz (River Plate).

Forwards: Agustin Canobbio (Athletico Paranaense), Maximiliano Araujo (Toluca), Facundo Torres (Orlando City), Brian Rodriguez (America de Mexico), Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United), Cristian Olivera (Los Angeles FC), Maxi Gomez (Cadiz), and Darwin Nunez (Liverpool).