Mexico's interim coach Ricardo Ferretti has named seven Europe-based players in his squad to face Costa Rica (Oct. 11) and Chile (Oct. 16), including PSV Eindhoven winger Hirving Lozano.
Lozano, Marco Fabian, Nestor Araujo and Diego Reyes all return after missing out on September's losses against Uruguay and the United States, but there is no place in the fairly young squad for veterans Javier Hernandez, Miguel Layun, Guillermo Ochoa, Hector Herrera or Andres Guardado.
🗣 We're ready Querétaro and Monterrey! 💪🏻
— Mexican National Team (@miseleccionmxEN) October 3, 2018
This is the squad for our upcoming matches 🆚🇨🇷 and 🇨🇱.#PasiónyOrgullo pic.twitter.com/zZ7DRk7FRs
There are first call-ups for Chivas duo Raul Gudino (goalkeeper) and right-back Jose Carlos Van Rankin, although Club America youngster Diego Lainez, who has missed recent games through injury, is not included.
Mexico's squad is due to meet on Sunday at the federation's training center just outside Mexico City, before traveling to Monterrey on Oct. 10, the day before El Tri faces Costa Rica in Estadio Universitario. The team will return to Mexico City after that game and travel to Queretaro a day before the match in Estadio Corregidora.
Tigres coach Ferretti is taking charge of the national team for the second set of fixtures since the World Cup, but has confirmed he isn't in the running to take over on a full-time basis, with Atlanta United head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino heavily linked with the position.
The Mexico squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Gibran Lajud (Club Tijuana/MEX), Hugo Gonzalez (Necaxa/MEX), Raul Gudino (Chivas/MEX)
Defenders: Diego Reyes (Fenerbahce/TUR), Edson Alvarez (America/MEX), Nestor Araujo (Celta Vigo/ESP), Jesus Angulo (Santos Laguna/MEX), Luis Rodriguez (Tigres/MEX), Jose Carlos Van Rankin (Chivas/MEX), Jesus Gallardo (Monterrey/MEX), Gerardo Arteaga (Santos Laguna/MEX), Erick Aguirre (Pachuca/MEX)
Midfielders: Jonathan Gonzalez (Monterrey/MEX), Erick Gutierrez (PSV Eindhoven/NED), Victor Guzman (Pachuca/MEX), Marco Fabian (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Jesus Duenas (Tigres/MEX), Javier Guemez (Queretaro/MEX)
Forwards: Jurgen Damm (Tigres/MEX), Isaac Brizuela (Chivas/MEX), Hirving Lozano (PSV Eindhoven/NED), Roberto Alvarado (Cruz Azul/MEX), Raul Jimenez (Wolves/ENG) Angel Zaldivar (Chivas/MEX), Henry Martin (Club America/MEX), Jesus Corona (Porto/POR)
