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Posted: Friday October 2, 2009 10:08AM; Updated: Friday October 2, 2009 10:08AM

Iniesta, Ramos return from injury for Spain

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MADRID (AP) -- Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos returned from injury to be included in Spain's squad for its final two World Cup qualifying games.

Coach Vicente del Bosque called up a first-choice team for Group 5 matches at Armenia on Oct. 10 and Bosnia-Herzegovina on Oct. 14. The European champions have already qualified for next year's finals in South Africa.

Iniesta returns for the first time since February after the Barcelona midfielder missed June's Confederations Cup due to a muscle tear in his thigh. Real Madrid defender Ramos hadn't played since that World Cup warmup event due to a right heel injury and had missed Madrid's Champions League win over Marseille on Wednesday with a hamstring concern.

Del Bosque also called up Athletic Bilbao defender Andoni Iraola in place of Madrid's Alvaro Arbeloa.

Spain joined the Netherlands and England as the first European countries to qualify for 2010 following a 3-0 win over Estonia last month that saw it take the group with an insurmountable eight-point lead. Spain has won each of its eight games.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Diego Lopez (Villarreal).

Defenders: Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Andoni Iraola (Athletic Bilbao), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Ignacio Monreal (Osasuna), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Villarreal), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Albert Riera (Liverpool), Marcos Senna (Villarreal).

Strikers: Dani Guiza (Fenerbahce), Juanma Mata (Valencia), David Silva (Valencia), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), David Villa (Valencia).

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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