With Andres Guardado, Hector Moreno and Diego Reyes led out of Saturday’s amusement, the disposition might be more worried than idealistic
Mexico fans will say farewell to their group Saturday night at the Estadio Azteca, and they completely would prefer not to see Hector Moreno, Diego Reyes or Andres Guardado back in the nation one week from now.
Damage worries about the three players, who speak to the player Mexico mentor Juan Carlos Osorio has begun most, fourth-most and fifth-most amid his residency, While the mentor at first said Saturday would be the due date and players who weren’t in their best athletic shape would be trimmed from the World Cup list, Osorio never would quit so soon on three of his most critical players.
Between those three and focus back Nestor Araujo, who will miss the competition as a result of knee damage, Osorio has upwards of four players missing right now from the beginning XI he was wanting to play in El Tri’s first match of the World Cup, a gathering amusement against Germany.
While Osorio said the players he would call on to replace those players would still carry out the style of play he has implemented since arriving as coach in 2015. However, there’s no hiding the fact that El Tri would be a better team with those players in the lineup.
“If I’m honest, I have to say I have documents from April 6 and 7 where we basically already had a XI against Germany decided,” he said at a news conference Friday. “With the injured players, there are four considerable absences. It’s changed, and changed a lot. Now, what is clear is that these days have been very productive for us.
“We’re continuing to work on the same principles of play, independent from who might be playing, who is going to be competing, the team has to perform like it did last game. It showed pressure in the attacking zone, the defensive line almost to midfield, immediate reactions when losing the ball. If the game is today obviously there are four different players and that’s because of being forced to make those changes.”
The injuries put a serious cloud over what should be a joyous occasion. El Tri is at home against a Scotland side that has fewer caps combined than six individual Mexico players. Tickets are sold out, and the expectations are beginning to build as fans once again hope that their team will get out of the round of 16 for the first time on foreign soil. They may not even see off Mexico’s best.
After injuries also derailed Mexico’s Confederations Cup run, with Osorio losing Reyes and Carlos Salcedo during the tournament, the manager is wondering if the match is worth risking players like Hirving Lozano or Hector Herrera, who he knows are in form and couldn’t afford to lose to injury.
“We’re still thinking about who should play and for what reasons they should play tomorrow,” Osorio said. “We resisted the temptation to put Hirving Lozano in against Wales and we’re still debating about tomorrow. With him, I could name more, another is Hector Herrera. It’s a very delicate theme, but the guys definitely will know before the game and I suppose the response should be very positive. If not, I’ll take responsibility and take the necessary measures.”