Buenos Aries: Villarreal midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme returned home from Spain on Monday amid intense speculation as to why he hadn't joined his fellow European-based Argentine national side teammates gathering in Madrid.
Riquelme made no comments as he arrived in Buenos Aires after his flight from Spain, where 15 Argentine team members gathered for a pre-Cup pep talk with national team manager Jose Pekerman.
Some local reports said Riquelme flew home to be with former Boca Juniors player and close friend, Marcelo Delgado, whose father had passed away.
But local daily Clarin speculated on whether there might have been other reasons.
Riquelme refused to resolve the mystery of why he wasn't with some of the top names gathering with Pekerman with the World Cup less than a month away.
The meetings on Monday and Tuesday at a luxury hotel were closely scrutinized for clues as to the composition of the final roster and game strategy for the World Cup.
Riquelme, 27, is widely considered a top playmaker for the national team.
His name was on a list of 16 players already confirmed by the Argentine soccer federation as being bound for Germany, pending confirmation of the final roster in mid-May.
Among players in Madrid for talks with Pekerman were Boca Juniors goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri, whose Argentine team won the first-division championship Sunday after a 2-0 victory over Independiente.
Abbondanzieri took a late flight to Madrid soon after the match ended on Sunday.
Others taking part in talks with Pekerman in Madrid included Hernan Crespo, currently at Chelsea in England, as well as Lionel Messi, the 18-year-old at Barcelona of Spain, among others.
Still others unable to make the Madrid meetings were Javier Saviola, of Sevilla of Spain, because of club commitments. He is considered another strong choice for the team.
The definitive list of 23 players will be announced May 15.
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