Tevez has not played for Argentina since 2011

Manager Alejandro Sabella has opted to pick former Chelsea forward Franco Di Santo

Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain all make the provisional squad

Manchester City duo Martin Demichelis and Pablo Zabaleta are included

Carlos Tevez has been left out of Argentina's provisional World Cup squad despite scoring 19 Serie A goals for Juventus this season.

The former Manchester City striker, who moved to Italy last summer, had been expected to miss out on a place in Alejandro Sabella's 30-man list.

Tevez's fate was confirmed on Tuesday evening, just hours after he was pictured shopping in Milan.

Ruled out: Juventus striker Carlos Tevez, pictured here shopping in Milan on Tuesday, has missed out on a place in Argentina's provisional World Cup squad

Man in form: Tevez has scored 19 Serie A goals this season in his debut campaign in Italy

Free time: Tevez goes shoe shopping ahead of Juventus' final game of the season against Cagliari

The 30-year-old is currently the third highest goalscorer in Serie A, but has not featured for his country since 2011.

Sabella has opted to pick former Chelsea striker Franco Di Santo, who now plys his trade for Werder Bremen in Germany.

The 25-year-old, who netted just four Bundesliga goals last season, joins Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Rodrigo Palacio among Sabella's forward options.

Martin Demichelis, a Premier League winner with Manchester City in his first season in England, earned a surprise call-up alongside his team-mate Pablo Zabaleta.

Demichelis, a veteran of the 2010 finals, had not been called up by Sabella since being dropped after a 1-1 draw at home to Bolivia in a South American qualifier in November 2011.

Surprise: Former Wigan forward Franco Di Santo (right) has been called up to Argentina's provisional squad

Star man: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is certain of a place on Argentina's plane to Brazil

The 33-year-old, who has 37 caps, put behind him a poor Champions League last-16 performance against Barcelona in February, when he conceded a penalty and was sent off, to secure his place in the centre of the City defence in the title run-in.

Sabella, whose team have often looked unbalanced with a brilliant attack and ordinary rearguard, has noted Demichelis's recent form as he looks to improve his defence for Argentina's tilt at a third World Cup triumph in Brazil.

Another surprise call-up is Catania midfielder Fabian Rinaudo, who won one of his four caps under Sabella in 2011, and is regarded as cover in case regular midfielders Fernando Gago or Augusto Fernandez fail to recover from injury in time to be included in the definitive squad on June 2.

Faith: Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella (right) has included Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain (left)

Right back Gabriel Mercado has earned a chance thanks to his performances for River Plate, who can lift the Argentine league title this weekend.

Sabella named Gago of Boca Juniors, Fernandez of Celta Vigo and Real Madrid's Angel Di Maria who all hope to be fit in time for the tournament in Brazil starting on June 12 in which Argentina face Iran, Bosnia and Nigeria in Group F.

Di Maria is fighting to be fit for Real's Champions League final against Atletico Madrid on May 24.

Notable absentees include Tottenham's record signing Erik Lamela and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore.

 
Brazil bound: Sergio Aguero (left) and Javier Mascherano (right) are both expected to make the final squad