Another Major Absence for Rafa Márquez and the Mexico National Team
Rafael Márquez has already selected his replacement.
The Mexico national team has suffered a significant setback ahead of its upcoming series of international friendlies. César Montes, a defender for Lokomotiv Moscow, will not be available for the matches against Colombia, Peru, the United States and Chile due to injury.
The defender arrived in Mexico with a gluteal muscle tear that prevented him from remaining with the squad. As a result, Montes will return to Moscow to continue his recovery process before rejoining his club.
To cover his absence, head coach Rafael Márquez called up Dagoberto Espinoza of Club América. However, he will join El Tri next week, following Saturday's match against Colombia.
Santiago Giménez Also Trains Separately
The fitness concerns do not end with Montes. During Wednesday's training session, which was open to the media, Santiago Giménez, a forward for Porto, worked separately from the rest of the squad due to muscle tightness.
For now, the issue is not considered serious, and the striker is expected to rejoin his teammates for full training on Thursday.
Hirving Lozano, a forward for the LA Galaxy, and Germán Berterame of Inter Miami also took part in the session. Both are among the notable additions to the squad and showed good rhythm during the drills and scrimmages conducted by the national team.
The Rafa Márquez Era Begins
The Mexico national team will officially begin its new era under Rafael Márquez on Saturday when it faces Colombia at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland.
El Tri will then take on Peru on September 29 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. The team's schedule will continue against the United States on October 3 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Finally, Mexico will close out this series of matches against Chile on October 6 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.
Key Takeaways
- César Montes was ruled out of the squad with a gluteal muscle tear.
- Dagoberto Espinoza was called up by Rafael Márquez to replace him.
- Santiago Giménez trained separately due to muscle tightness.
- Mexico will face Colombia, Peru, the United States and Chile.
- The match against Colombia will mark the beginning of Rafael Márquez's tenure as El Tri head coach.
