Castillo a surprise inclusion in Ecuador World Cup squad

Ecuador head coach Reinaldo Rueda has sprung a surprise by including Segundo Castillo in his final 23-man World Cup squad.

Castillo seemed certain to miss out on appearing in his second World Cup campaign after sustaining a gruesome knee injury in Saturday's friendly defeat to Mexico which occurred as a result of a nasty collision with Mexico's Luis Montes.

The Al Hilal holding midfielder has undergone tests since Saturday, the results of which Rueda deems satisfactory enough to take a gamble and include the former Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers player in his final squad.

Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia, undoubtedly the star name in the squad, will be hoping to put a nightmare past season with the Reds behind him by helping his country to prevail from Group E of the competition.

Another familiar name who will be representing La Tri at Brazil 2014 is former Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo, currently of UAE Arabian Gulf League side Al Jazira.

Nine of Rueda's selection ply their trade in Ecuador's domestic league with one of these players being Sante Fe veteran midfielder Edison Mendez, a man who holds third place as Ecuador's most capped player having amassed no fewer than 109 international appearances.

Ecuador will play England in Miami's Sunlife Stadium in their final warm-up game on Tuesday before their Group E opener on June 15 against Ottmar Hitzfeld's Switzerland in Brasilia.

Ecuador World Cup 2014 squad

Goalkeepers: Maximo Banguera (Barcelona, Ecuador), Adrian Bone (El Nacional), Alexander Dominguez (Liga de Quito)

Defenders: Gabriel Achilier (Emelec), Walter Ayovi (Pachuca), Oscar Bagui (Emelec), Frickson Erazo (Flamengo), Jorge Guagua (Emelec), Juan Carlos Paredes (Barcelona, Ecuador)

Midfielders: Segundo Castillo (Al Hilal), Carlos Gruezo (Stuttgart), Renato Ibarra (Vitesse Arnhem), Fidel Martinez (Tijuana), Edison Mendez (Santa Fe), Christian Noboa (Dinamo Moscow), Luis Saritama (Barcelona, Ecuador), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United)

Forwards: Jaime Ayovi (Tijuana), Felipe Caicedo (Al-Jazira), Jefferson Montero (Morelia), Joao Rojas (Cruz Azul), Enner Valencia (Pachuca), Michael Arroyo (Atlante).

Extratime.ie will be covering the FIFA World Cup 2014 from the first kick of a ball to the last with reports and news. We will also have regular features from our reporter in Brazil – Macdara Ferris.