Andres Guardado, Diego Reyes Included in Final Mexico World Cup Squad
June 4, 2018
Mexico have named both Andres Guardado and Diego Reyes in their final 23-man squad for the FIFA World Cup despite concerns over the fitness of the duo.
The team's official Twitter account posted the squad on Monday:
As noted by Jon Arnold of Goal, there were concerns about whether Guardado or Reyes would make the cut, as they both missed the 1-0 win over Scotland on Saturday, as did Hector Moreno.
"Guardado underwent a procedure shortly after the end of the season with Real Betis to repair a nerve issue in his leg while Reyes is nursing a hamstring problem," said Arnold. "Moreno has a calf knock but is expected to be fit for Saturday's friendly against Denmark and the World Cup after."
WhoScored.com showed Guardado provides excellent delivery from wide areas and set pieces:
Supporters will be delighted to see the trio included, as they've all been crucial to the team's fortunes in recent years.
Tom Marshall of ESPN observed a large portion of the squad have experience playing outside of their homeland:
Elsewhere, there aren't many surprises, with Juan Carlos Osorio keeping faith with a number of experienced stars.
It's at the top end of the pitch where El Tri have the potential to excite, with a number of bright attackers jostling for a starting spot. Javier Hernandez, Mexico's all-time leading goalscorer, is expected to lead the line.
The supporting cast is likely to come from Los Angeles FC's Carlos Vela, Porto's Jesus Corona and, most excitingly of all, PSV Eindhoven star Hirving Lozano.
The winger heads to the World Cup after a tremendous debut term in the Netherlands, helping PSV Eindhoven win the Eredivisie with 17 goals and eight assists in the competition last season. He appears primed to thrive on the world stage this summer.
Rafael Marquez is also poised to make history at the tournament, as he'll join a select group of players to have played at five World Cups, per Fans Bet:
Now 39, the versatile defender has represented Mexico an incredible 143 times and is set to add to that haul of caps at the World Cup. While the former Barcelona man's best days are behind him, his experience will prove invaluable to Mexico on the big stage.
Mexico have made it out of the group in the last six World Cups but have failed to progress beyond the last 16 on every occasion.
They're in a challenging group in Russia. El Tri open their tournament against defending champions Germany before meetings with South Korea and Sweden.