As Mexico made their way to Miami for their international friendly match on Wednesday against Senegal, Javier Aquino, who was called up for the game. Aquino did not make the trip and will miss out on the match after picking up a hamstring injury during his club match with Tigres against Jaguares on Friday night.
Minor injury
The injury is a minor one, and Aquino should recover fine. Manager Juan Carlos Osorio opted against calling up a replacement for Aquino, meaning Mexico will go to the game with 21 players, 19 of whom are field players.
For Aquino, this is only a slight set back as he’s already featured for Osorio late last year in Mexico’s World Cup Qualifying opening matches. Of the players participating in the match, Aquino is one of the few who isn’t battling to prove himself to Osorio. What Mexico does lose is Aquino’s experience, especially with the amount of youngsters El Tri will be bringing up to face their African counterparts.
Aquino is a critical part of the team
In past years, this would have been a huge blow for Aquino, but since returning to Mexico from Spain where he spent a couple of years battling for playing time and relevancy both with club and country, he has flourished with Tigres and was a big part of their run to the championship. Having the ability to play on either wing, Aquino has shown his speed and willingness to sacrifice himself on the field. A great example of this was the game against Honduras in Mexico’s last outing. His constant pressure and endless energy on both ends of the field in the middle of the Central American heat left the Honduran defense gassed by the time Jesus Corona came in for him.
While his excellent form will be missed for Mexico, this does open more chances for senior squad fridge players and young starlets to make a greater impact on Wednesday.