91�ȱ�

Colombia striker Radamel Falcao will miss the World Cup after he was left out of his country's final 23-man squad.

The 28-year-old Monaco player has not played since sustaining anterior cruciate ligament damage in January.

He had been included in Jose Pekerman's provisional 30-man party.

But Falcao - who scored nine goals during Colombia's qualifying campaign - has lost his race to be fit in time for the finals in Brazil.

Also missing out are defenders Aquivaldo Mosquera of Club America and Luis Amaranto Perea of Cruz Azul, midfielders Macnelly Torres of Al Shabab, Elkin Soto of Mainz, and Edwin Valencia of Fluminense, as well as Udinese forward Luis Fernando Muriel.

Morelia midfielder Aldo Leao Ramirez was a late withdrawal from the squad through injury. He has been replaced by River Plate's Carlos Carbonero.

Colombia are drawn in Group C with Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan.

Pekerman's side play their first match against Greece on 14 June in Belo Horizonte, before meeting Ivory Coast on 19 June and Japan on 24 June.

Defender Pablo Armero, who spent the second half of the season on loan at West Ham, is the only player that featured in the Premier League this season in a squad that also contains Monaco's £38.5m midfielder James Rodriguez.

Goalkeepers: David Ospina (Nice), Faryd Mondragon (Deportivo Cali), Camilo Vargas (Independiente Santa Fe).

Defenders: Mario Yepes (AC Milan), Cristian Zapata (AC Milan), Pablo Armero (West Ham, on loan from Napoli), Camilo Zuniga (Napoli), Santiago Arias (PSV Eindhoven), Eder Alvarez Balanta (River Plate), Carlos Valdes (San Lorenzo).

Midfielders: Fredy Guarin (Inter Milan), Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina), James Rodriguez (Monaco), Abel Aguilar (Toulouse), Juan Fernando Quintero (Porto), Carlos Sanchez (Elche), Carlos Carbonero (River Plate), Alexander Mejia (Atletico Nacional),

Forwards: Victor Ibarbo (Cagliari), Jackson Martinez (Porto), Carlos Bacca (Sevilla), Adrian Ramos (Hertha Berlin), Teofilo Gutierrez (River Plate).