LIMA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Interim Peru manager Manuel Barreto said Monday that he would use his team's friendly against Chile to test new players with a view to prepare for the 2030 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Among the uncapped players named in Peru's squad for Friday's clash at Estadio Bicentenario in Santiago are midfielder Felipe Chavez, defender Anderson Villacorta, goalkeeper Pedro Diaz, left-back Cristian Carbajal and forward Juan Pablo Goicochea.
"We have some great players who we already know but the reality is that we failed to qualify for the [2026] World Cup and that means we have to expand our universe of players," Barreto told reporters.
"The idea is to give the manager who starts the next cycle an idea of players he can count on."
Barreto was appointed as the caretaker manager in September after Oscar Ibanez was sacked when Peru failed to qualify for next year's World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The 43-year-old insisted the process of revamping the squad would be gradual to avoid rushing in young players before they are ready.
"It's not about putting players in just for the sake of it," he said. "It's about making sure they are supported and protected so that they can succeed."
"The [Peruvian football federation] has a need and a transition that I have to lead, and I am going to do it the same way I have taken on every challenge in my life, with courage, professionalism and a lot of passion," he added. ■
