SAN JOSE, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas has been left out of Costa Rica's squad for friendlies against South Korea and Japan, the Costa Rican football federation said on Tuesday.
Captain and playmaker Bryan Ruiz, midfielder Celso Borges, center-back Giancarlo Gonzalez, striker Marco Urena and midfielder Yeltsin Tejeda were also absent from the 23-man squad as interim coach Ronald Gonzalez turns to youth for the fixtures in Asia.
The matches will be Costa Rica's first since this summer's World Cup in Russia, where they were eliminated in the group phase after two losses and a draw.
"We have talked with all of the players, some of whom didn't return to their clubs until 15 or 22 days after the World Cup," Gonzalez said.
"It was decided that it would be best for some of those players to miss these matches because several have new coaches or are coming to the end of their contracts."
Costa Rica will play South Korea in Goyang on Sept. 7 and Japan in Suita four days later.
Gonzalez was this month appointed caretaker coach after the July sacking of Oscar Ramirez.
