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QUITO, Ecuador (AP)—Coach Reinaldo Rueda has named Ecuador’s 23-man squad for the Copa America, picking midfielder Antonio Valencia of Manchester United and Christian Benitez, the top scorer in the Mexican league, to lead the side.

The squad is based primarily on players in the Ecuador league, but features four playing in Mexico and three in Europe.

Ecuador, which has never won the Copa America, plays in Group B with Brazil, Paraguay and Venezuela.

The tournament in Argentina opens on July 1.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Marcelo Elizaga (Deportivo Quito), Maximo Banguera (Barcelona), Alexander Domenguez (Liga de Quito).

Defenders: Neicer Reascos (Liga de Quito), Norberto Araujo (Liga de Quito) Giovanni Caicedo (Liga de Quito), Diego Calderon (Liga de Quito), Gabriel Achilier (Emelec), Luis Checa (Deportivo Quito), Frickson Erazo (El Nacional), Walter Ayovi (Monterrey, Mexico).

Midfielders: Segundo Castillo (Deportivo Quito), Oswaldo Tilson Minda (Deportivo Quito), Luis Fernando Saritama (Deportivo Quito), Michael Arroyo (San Luis, Mexico), Edison Mendez (Emelec), Cristian Noboa (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), David Quiroz (Emelec).

Forwards: Jaime Ayovi (Toluca, Mexico), Christian Benitez (America, Mexico), Felipe Caicedo (Levante, Spain), Mina Narciso (Independiente del Valle).

Labels: America, Ecuador, Names, squad

QUITO, Feb 25 (Reuters) - LDU Quito’s Ecuador midfielder Luis Bolanos is in hospital after being shot in the arm on Friday but is out of danger, a director of the club said.

Local media reported that Bolanos was shot at twice in the parking lot of a shopping mall in what appeared to be an attempted robbery but his assailants had not been identified.

LDU director Esteban Perez told a local radio station Bolanos, who helped LDU win the Libertadores Cup in 2008, was recovering in a hospital in northern Quito.

The 25-year-old, who has four caps, played for Santos and Internacional in Brazil in 2009, returning home on loan to Barcelona of Guayaquil in 2010 before rejoining LDU this year.

Paraguay forward Salvador Cabanas was shot in the head in a Mexico City bar in January 2010 in an alleged argument. He is recovering in Asuncion.

(Reporting by Diego Ore; writing by Rex Gowar in Buenos Aires; editing by Ken Ferris; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Labels: Bolanos, Ecuador, Midfielder, Reuters