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MEXICO CITY, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Sven-Goran Eriksson picked 35-year-old striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco in his Mexico squad for their CONCACAF World Cup third round qualifiers starting at home to Honduras next Wednesday.
"I think he can still give a lot to the national team," former England manager Eriksson told reporters after announcing his 25-man squad for his debut as Mexico coach, having been appointed in June as Hugo Sanchez's successor.
Blanco, who plays for Chicago Fire in U.S. Major League Soccer, was last called up by Mexico for the Copa America in Venezuela last year.
Eriksson named two uncapped naturalised players, Brazilian-born midfielder Leandro Augusto and Argentine-born forward Matias Vuoso, reigniting criticism of the inclusion of non-Mexican players.
Another naturalised Mexican in the squad is Argentine-born 2007 World Cup striker Guillermo Franco.
Eriksson has dismissed complaints from domestic club officials about such choices saying if a player has a Mexican passport he is eligible for selection.
Canada and Jamaica are also in Group Two with Mexico for this round of qualifiers which ends on Nov. 19.
The top two in each of the three groups qualify for next year's final round robin from which three teams go through to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The fourth-placed team faces a playoff against the fifth-placed team in South America.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Oswaldo Sanchez (Santos Laguna), Guillermo Ochoa (America), Jesus Corona (Tecos UAG)
Defenders: Rafael Marquez (Barcelona), Jonny Magallon (Guadalajara), Ricardo Osorio (VfB Stuttgart), Carlos Salcido, Francisco Rodriguez (both PSV Eindhoven), Aaron Galindo (Eintracht Frankfurt), Fausto Pinto (Pachuca), Edgar Castillo (Santos Laguna)
Midfielders: Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Pavel Pardo (Stuttgart), Luis Perez (Monterrey), Fernando Arce (Santos Laguna), Andres Guardado (Deportivo Coruna), Leandro Augusto (Pumas UNAM), Francisco Torres (Santos Laguna)
Forwards: Guillermo Franco (Villarreal), Omar Bravo (Deportivo Coruna), Carlos Vela (Arsenal), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Carlos Ochoa (Monterrey), Matias Vuoso (Santos Laguna), Giovani dos Santos (Tottenham Hotspur).
