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Nacional's exciting young midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro has been named in a 26-man Uruguay squad for the World Cup play-off against Costa Rica.

The uncapped 20-year-old, who has helped Nacional to the top of the Uruguayan Apertura championship, is among six home-based players coach Oscar Washington Tabarez added to the list of exiles he named last week.

Tabarez has dropped three of those exiles, defender Carlos Valdez, midfielder Jorge Martinez and forward Edinson Cavani, for the two-legged play-off in San Jose on November 14 and Montevideo four days later.

Defenders Martin Caceres and Andres Scotti and midfielders Maximiliano Pereira and Diego Perez are banned for the first leg to be played on a synthetic pitch at the Saprissa stadium but will be available for the return at the Centenario.

Uruguay, in their third successive playoff having beaten Australia to reach the 2002 finals and lost to the same opponents four years later, qualified by finishing fifth in the South American group.

Costa Rica were fourth in the CONCACAF region.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Juan Castillo (Botafogo), Fernando Muslera (Lazio), Martin Silva (Defensor Sporting)

Defenders: Martin Caceres (Juventus), Mauricio Victorino (Universidad de Chile), Diego Lugano (Fenerbahce), Diego Godin (Villarreal), Andres Scotti (Argentinos Juniors), Bruno Silva (Ajax Amsterdam), Juan Manuel Diaz (Estudiantes de La Plata), Sebastian Coates (Nacional)

Midfielders: Alvaro Pereira (Porto), Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica), Alvaro Fernandez (Vitoria Setubal), Sebastian Eguren (Villarreal), Walter Gargano (Napoli), Diego Perez (Monaco), Miguel Amado (Defensor Sporting), Alvaro Gonzalez, Nicolas Lodeiro (both Nacional), Jorge Rodriguez (River Plate, Uruguay)

Forwards: Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Fernandez (Banfield), Rodrigo Lopez (Velez Sarsfield), Luis Suarez (Ajax Amsterdam), Sebastian Abreu (Aris Salonika).

Reuters