LA Galaxy forward Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez has confirmed that he's spoken with new Mexico manager Diego Cocca and that the door "is open" to a possible national team return.
Hernandez, Mexico's all-time leading goalscorer, hasn't appeared for the men's national team since 2019.
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"I received a call three weeks ago from Diego Cocca to inform me that, like myself and all the other Mexican players, our doors are open and everything would depend on our football level and the decisions that he makes," Hernandez said this week during a presentation for a real estate company he's recently invested in.
Sources told ESPN Mexico's Sergio Dipp on Friday that Hernandez has felt that Cocca is more honest than former Mexico manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino, who left the 34-year-old striker out of the 2022 World Cup roster.
Hernandez should be back to normal training with the Galaxy on Monday after recovering from a hamstring injury. He has yet to feature in MLS this season.
Galaxy head coach and sporting director Greg Vanney said during a press conference Thursday that Hernandez is unlikely to play this weekend against the Seattle Sounders, but that the forward is "certainly making progress."
"We'll start building him up to get ready as soon as he's ready, but that should be within the next week for sure," Vanney added.
Depending on Chicharito's form and fitness, the striker could be in the running for a call-up for Mexico's upcoming friendly against the United States on April 19 in Glendale, Arizona.
Landing on a non-FIFA date, Cocca is expected to stick with a Mexico roster that will be primarily composed of Liga MX players and potentially some options from MLS.
Mexico will then face the U.S. again in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League on June 15 in Las Vegas before preparing for a possible final on June 18 and the start of the Gold Cup on June 24.
Cocca, hired in February, started off his run as Mexico manager with a 2-0 away win over Suriname and a 2-2 draw at home against Jamaica last week in the CONCACAF Nations League.