Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda called up Motagua's Georgie Welcome to replace injured striker Carlos Costly in his 23-man preliminary World Cup squad.

Costly is out for six weeks after fracturing his right foot playing for his Romanian club, FC Vaslui.

There is no place for the Honduran league's top scorer Jerry Bengtson.

But, as expected, Wigan duo Maynor Figueroa and Hendry Thomas and Tottenham's Wilson Palacios all make the list, to be finalised by 1 June.

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"We're going to give it everything and do all we can to put in a good performance," said Rueda, whose assistant, Alexis Mendoza, will take temporary charge for the team's opener against Chile on 16 June.

Honduras, who will also play tournament favourites Spain and Switzerland in Group H, leave for Germany on Friday for a training camp, before moving to Austria, where the squad will be based until flying to South Africa on 8 June.

In Austria, the team will play friendly matches against Belarus (27 May), South Korea (29 May), Azerbaijan (2 June) and Romania (5 June).

Goalkeepers: Ricardo Canales (Motagua), Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Donis Escober (Olimpia).

Defenders: Victor Bernardez (Anderlecht), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan), Oscar Garcia (Olimpia), Sergio Mendoza (Motagua), Emilio Izaguirre (Motagua), Johnny Palacios (Olimpia), Mauricio Sabillon (Hangzhou Luchen), Osman Chavez (Platense).

Midfielders: Edgard Alvarez (Bari), Julio Cesar de Leon (Torino), Roger Espinoza (Kansas City Wizards), Amado Guevara (Motagua), Ramon Nunez (Olimpia), Wilson Palacios (Tottenham Hotspur), Hendry Thomas (Wigan), Danilo Turcios (Olimpia).

Forwards: David Suazo (Genoa), Georgie Welcome (Motagua), Carlos Pavon (Real Espana), Walter Martinez (Marathon).

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