Argentina coach Diego Maradona has decided to give seven new players their first national team call-ups, despite facing the challenge of culling the 78 players he used in World cup qualification down to a squad of 23.

Maradona has had to make four immediate changes to his 18-man home-based squad for the friendly international match against Jamaica next Wednesday. The changes, just hours after the squad was initially revealed, are due to Estudiantes' Copa Libertadores match against Peru's Juan Aurich the day after the friendly.

Maradona thus removed the four players he had selected from the club - defender Clemente Rodriguez, midfielder Enzo Perez and forwards Jose Sosa and Mauro Boselli.

Among their replacements are Atletico Tucuman forward Juan Pablo Pereyra and Huracan midfielder Patricio Toranzo, whose inclusions take the number of players gaining their first call-up from four up to seven.

Pereyra was included despite undergoing nose surgery, while Argentinos Juniors defender Ignacio Canuto and Boca Juniors midfielder Jesus Mendez are the other two players added.

Chacarita Juniors defender Mariano Echeverria, who scored a brace to help his team beat Tigre 2-0 in a local league game last week, also debuts along with Independiente duo Walter Acevedo and Leonel Galeano and Racing Club pair Lucas Licht and Gabriel Mercado.

Argentina, who defeated Costa Rica 3-2 last week, are warming-up for the World Cup Finals where they are playing Nigeria, South Korea and Greece in Group B.

Argentina squad: Cristian Campestrini (Arsenal), Nelson Ibanez (Godoy Cruz); Matias Caruzzo (Argentinos Juniors), Ignacio Canuto (Argentinos Juniors), Mariano Echeverria (Chacarita Juniors), Leonel Galeano (Independiente), Lucas Licht (Racing Club), Gabriel Mercado (Racing Club); Patricio Toranzo (Huracan), Juan Mercier (Argentinos Juniors), Federico Insua (Boca Juniors), Jesus Mendez (Boca Juniors), Walter Acevedo (Independiente); Franco Jara (Arsenal), Osvaldo Nicolas Gaitan (Boca Juniors), Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), Juan Pablo Pereyra (Atletico Tucuman), Gabriel Hauche (Racing Club).