Mexico at full strength for final World Cup qualifiers

Juan Carlos Osorio has opted against resting some of Mexico’s star names for the next round of World Cup qualifiers, despite El Tri having already qualified for Russia 2018.

Mexico are unbeaten in their eight matches in the final round of qualifying and sit top of the table with two games to play.

With qualification already assured some had expected Osorio to rest the likes of Javier Hernandez and Miguel Layun, but he has named a full-strength squad for the matches at home to Trinidad and Tobago and away at Honduras next month.

That means European-based Hernandez and Layun will feature, along with the latter’s Porto team-mates Hector Herrera, Jesus Corona and Diego Reyes.

MLS stars Jonathan and Giovani dos Santos are also included, but Rafael Marquez remains absent.

Marquez did not feature in Osorio’s previous squad despite support from the Mexican Football Federation after being sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury for his alleged support of a drug trafficking organisation – a charge he denies.

Mexico squad:

Rodolfo Cota (Chivas), Guillermo Ochoa (Standard Liege), Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul); Nestor Araujo (Santos Laguna), Diego Reyes (Porto), Edson Alvarez (Club America), Hugo Ayala (Tigres), Jesus Gallardo (Pumas), Hector Moreno (Roma), Oswaldo Alanis (Chivas), Carlos Salcedo (Eintracht Frankfurt), Miguel Layun (Porto); Jonathan dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Andres Guardado (Real Betis), Hector Herrera (FC Porto), Erick Gutierrez (Pachuca), Giovani dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Elias Hernandez (Leon); Javier Aquino (Tigres), Jesus Manuel Corona (FC Porto), Javier Hernandez (West Ham), Raul Jimenez (Benfica), Hirving Lozano (PSV Eindhoven), Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad), Oribe Peralta (Club America).