Beijing Guoan midfielder Li Ke makes a pass during the Chinese FA Cup match against Changchun Yatai on Wednesday in Beijing. Photo: IC

China on Thursday unveiled the squad for the upcoming friendlies in June with newly naturalized player Li Ke included in the 24-man list.

Li Ke, formerly British citizen Nicholas Yennaris, has played a key role in Beijing Guoan's season-beginning 10 straight wins in the Chinese Super League (CSL). 

Five other Guoan players are summoned for the friendlies including under-23 forward Zhang Yuning. The Greens saw their first defeat only last week, a 2-1 loss to last season's CSL champions Shanghai SIPG.

Seven-time CSL champions Guangzhou Evergrande remain the major contributor to the national team with seven players summoned, including veteran Zheng Zhi, now 38.

All three defenders whose blunders resulted in China's 3-0 defeat to Iran during the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup in January were not summoned, including Evergrande vice captain and center back Feng Xiaoting. 

China's star forward Wu Lei of La Liga side Espanyol, the only Chinese national playing overseas, skipped the session as he is still recovering from surgery. 

Under-23 internationals Zhu Chenjie of Shanghai Shenhua and Yang Liyu of Evergrande, are also included in the first-team squad rather than being summoned to the U23 team. Other ­newcomers for the national team include midfielder Feng Jin of Chongqi SWM.

Lippi arrived in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, on Tuesday afternoon, four days after the Chinese Football Association announced his reappointment. 

Lippi, whose previous tenure started in October 2016 and ended after the intracontinental tournament, reacted with massive disappointment to the blunders that made his tactics impossible to hold off Iran.

Lippi has four months to replace aging and veteran players in the squad. The "Silver Fox" tried out young players during his last stint, with disappointing results.

China will start their 2022 World Cup campaign in September. The top eight Asian teams will automatically become seeded sides in the qualifiers. China sit eighth in Asia in the latest FIFA rankings, sandwiched between Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Iraq trail behind China with an eight-point deficit. If Lippi does not want his team to face strong teams in the first round of the qualifying series, the Italian has to ensure the team retain their position through the two friendlies in June.

The two games, versus the Philippines and Tajikistan, are scheduled to be held in Guangzhou, where Lippi had a successful stint with Evergrande from 2012 to 2015.