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Mexico plays a crucial Copa America Group B match against Venezuela in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday with captain Edson Alvarez expected to miss the game with a hamstring injury.
The West Ham United midfielder collapsed clutching his hamstring in the 30th minute of Mexico’s 1-0 win over Jamaica on Saturday, leaving the crowd in tears.
While head coach Jaime Lozano stopped short of officially ruling out Alvarez and hinted that further tests would be conducted on Tuesday, he acknowledged that other experienced members of the squad would be needed to step up.
“I think we have a lot of leaders,” Lozano told reporters.
“Of course, it’s a big blow to lose your captain in the first game of a tournament like this. But I thought the team settled down pretty quickly (against Jamaica). They played really well.”
Luis Romo came on as a substitute for Alvarez and contributed to Gerardo Arteaga’s winning goal and is expected to play for “El Tri” against Venezuela.
Mexico is participating in its 11th Copa America and is the South American nation with the most appearances in away matches.
As co-host of the 2026 World Cup, Mexico has automatically qualified, so this America’s Cup is an important part of its preparations.
“For us, this is the tournament most similar to the World Cup,” Lozano said.
“CONMEBOL has three world champions. There’s a reason for that.”
Venezuela beat 10-man Ecuador 2-1 in their opening match on Saturday, and the race for top spot in the group will be intense on Wednesday.
Venezuela’s second-half fightback was spearheaded by goals from Jodel Cadiz and Eduard Bello, while veteran striker Salomon Rondon provided an assist and played a role in the second goal.
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