Maradona inclined to field team that got the better of Germany

Buenos Aires: Diego Maradona said yesterday that Argentina's line-up in their World Cup opener against Nigeria could be identical to the one which started the 1-0 win over Germany in a warm-up in Munich last month.

Maradona, speaking to local radio station FM Metro, said Argentina will play with four centre backs and Jonas Gutierrez and Angel Di Maria on the wings at the tournament in South Africa.

He added that 20 players were sure of a place in the squad for the finals starting on June 11.

Argentina meet Nigeria in Johannesburg on June 12 in Group B which also involves South Korea and Greece.

"I tried out lots of full backs, I tried with [Javier] Zanetti, [Emiliano] Papa, and I finished up with four central defenders," Maradona said. He named Nicolas Otamendi of Velez Sarsfield and the European-based Martin Demichelis, Walter Samuel and Gabriel Heinze, who were his back four in the Munich friendly.

"I think I'm going to play like that, they're the ones who give me guarantees at the back. They didn't concede a goal and [Germany] didn't create any goal chances," he said.

Maradona had said Jonas Gutierrez, "who gave me a lot" on the right, and Angel Di Maria would be his wings as against Germany.

"I spoke to [Gutierrez] and reassured him that even if he went down to the C [third division] with Newcastle I was going to take him," he said.