Injured Cardozo out of Paraguay squad

Paraguay will contest the Copa America without striker Oscar Cardozo, who has been excluded from the squad because of a back injury.

Cardozo has scored 17 goals in 28 Turkish Super Lig appearances for Trabzonspor this season, but on Wednesday his agent confirmed he had been playing through the pain barrier for his club side.

Subsequently, the 32-year-old has not been included in Ramon Diaz's final 23-man party for the Copa America, which gets under way on June 11.

Neither has AZ's Celso Oritz, who also misses out through injury.

Alongside the injured duo, Diaz has cut Joel Silva, Jorge Moreira, Saul Salcedo, Jonathan Fabbro and forward Hernan Perez from his initial squad of 30.

Paraguay have been drawn in Group B for the tournament in Chile, along with Argentina, Uruguay and Jamaica.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Alfredo Aguilar (Guarani), Anthony Silva (Independiente Medellin), Justo Villar (Colo Colo)

Defenders: Pablo Aguilar (America), Fabian Balbuena (Libertad), Marcos Caceres (Newell's Old Boys), Paulo Da Silva (Toluca), Ivan Piris (Udinese), Miguel Samudio (America), Bruno Valdez (Cerro Porteno)

Midfielders: Eduardo Aranda (Olimpia), Victor Caceres (Flamengo), Osvaldo Martinez (America), Osmar Molinas (Libertad), Nestor Ortigoza (San Lorenzo), Richard Ortiz (Toluca), Oscar Romero (Racing)

Forwards: Lucas Barrios (Montpellier), Edgar Benitez (Toluca), Raul Bobadilla (Augsburg), Derlis Gonzalez (Basel), Nelson Haedo Valdez (Eintracht Frankfurt), Roque Santa Cruz (Cruz Azul)