RUGBY:ARGENTINA'S Juan Martin Hernandez will miss the World Cup after failing to recover in time after knee surgery, reducing to 10 the number of veterans of the 2007 tournament in the Pumas squad.

The Racing Metro outhalf, one of the outstanding players of the 2007 finals in France where Argentina finished third, has not recovered from a knee ligament operation in March.

The squad, captained by Felipe Contepomi, who will be making his fourth appearance in the finals, contains 17 forwards, including seven frontrowers, and 13 backs, a decision coach Santiago Phelan said was taken in view of the wear and tear in the pack.

Phelan said the 28-year-old Hernandez, who also had back surgery early in 2010, had not been able to play for his country for two years so they had been preparing as if he would not be available.

SQUAD– Forwards: J F Lobbe (Toulon), J M Leguizamon (Lyon), L Senatore (Gimnasia Rosario), A Campos (Agen), A Galindo (Racing Metro), P Albacete (Toulouse), M Carizza (Biarritz), J Farias Cabello (Tucuman RC), M Galarza (unattached), T Vallejos (Harlequins), M Ayerza (Leicester Tigers), A Creevy (Montpellier), J Figallo (Montpellier), M Bustos (Montpellier), M Ledesma (Clermont), R Roncero (Stade Français), M Scelzo (Agen). Backs: M Rodriguez (Stade Français), H Agulla (Leicester Tigers), JJ Imhoff (Duendes), G Camacho (Exeter), L Gonzalez Amorosino (Montpellier), A Gosio (Newman), G Tiesi (Stade Français), S Fernandez (Montpellier), M Bosch (Biarritz), F Contepomi (Stade Français, capt), N Sanchez (Bordeaux-Begles), A Lalanne (London Irish), N Vergallo (Toulouse).