SAINTS striker Agustin Delgado has received a surprise call-up by Ecuador.

Coach Hernan Dario Gomez has shocked everybody by deciding that the injury-hit Saints forward is a contender for a place in the starting line-up that takes on Peru on November 19 in Quito.

Delgado, nicknamed 'The Tin Man', has had problems with his back and knees and is still recovering from surgery.

"Gomez, the coach, has decided to call Delgado and, the moment he arrives in Ecuador, he'll be seen by the doctor of the national team," confirmed a spokesman for the Ecuadorian Football Federation.

"The doctor will decide if the player is in the right condition for playing or not, and if he can play in one of the two games."

Gomez believes Delgado could play a part against Peru but, strangely, will not include the striker in the squad that faces