Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli is open to handing a recall to veteran striker Carlos Tevez ahead of this summer's World Cup finals in Russia. The 33-year-old returned to Boca Juniors for a third stint from Shanghai Shenhua in January, and he made his debut during the 2-0 triumph over Colon last weekend.
Speaking to reporters, Sampaoli said that Tevez would be considered for the national side, should he stand out with his performances leading to the World Cup. Sampaoli also revealed that he tried to pursue Tevez during his time at Sevilla, and there are not any doubts over the striker's attributes.
"There is a group of people who work to know the current status of some players who are not on our list in case one stands out. If Tevez stands out, he will be analysed. No one is unaware of Tevez's attributes. When I was a coach I wanted to take him to Sevilla for the Champions League. Any player that excelled will be watched closely," he said.
Meanwhile, Tevez has also vowed to convince Sampaoli of his worth, and he is hoping to join the likes of Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain at the global showpiece in the summer, he told La Red radio: "I'm not giving up the fight for the World Cup. I'm not going to make it easy for Sampaoli. If Sampaoli has doubts, it would be nice to break them in the next four months."
The Argentine has not featured for the La Selección since October 2015, and Tevez believed that his international future is up after joining the multi-rich Chinese Super League in the Far East. However, his decision to make another comeback with Boca Juniors appears to have given him a lifeline with Argentina which looked distant during his time with Shenhua.
Tevez's fitness was one of the primarily concerns when he was plying his trade for the Chinese heavyweights, and this is an aspect he may look to improve on between now and the end of the season.