Mexico national team manager Diego Cocca has revealed his 40-man preliminary roster for the CONCACAF Nations League finals in June, with Napoli's injured Serie A champion Hirving "Chucky" Lozano and record-goalscorer Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez both left off the list.
Headlined by marquee names like Feyenoord's Eredivisie champion Santiago Gimenez, Salernitana goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and Ajax's Edson Alvarez, the roster will be narrowed down to 23 in the week before June's CONCACAF Nations League knockout round. Kicking off with a June 15 semifinal against the United States at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium, El Tri will then take part in either a third place or championship match in the same venue on June 18.
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
Lozano is recovering from a knee injury which forced an early substitution during Napoli's 1-0 win over Fiorentina on May 7. Days earlier in a 1-1 draw with Udinese, the 27-year-old winger helped Napoli clinch their first Serie A title since 1990.
Hernandez returned to the field for the LA Galaxy in April after recovering from a hamstring injury, but has since looked out-of-form. The 34-year-old designated player has scored just one goal in the last eight appearances for his club, which currently sits at the bottom of MLS' Western Conference standings.
Having been left out of the national team since 2019, Hernandez hinted about a possible return in March after stating that he "received a call" from Cocca.
In noteworthy returns, Sevilla winger Jesus "Tecatito" Corona is back in the mix after recovering from a lengthy left-leg injury that kept him out of the 2022 World Cup. In his first appearance of 2023, the 30-year-old scored for Sevilla during a 3-0 away victory over Real Valladolid on May 14.
Aiming for a generational change in the early days of his managerial tenure that began in February, Cocca has included several players aged 21 or younger such as Barcelona's Julian Araujo, Chivas' Jesus Orozco, Monterrey's Victor Guzman, Santos Laguna's Omar Campos and Atlas' Jonathan Ozziel Herrera.
Veterans from the latest World Cup roster that have been left out of Cocca's list include the Houston Dynamo's Hector Herrera, Leon's Rodolfo Cota, FC Juarez's Alfredo Talavera, and Monterrey duo Rogelio Funes Mori and Hector Moreno.
Earlier this week, Mexico's all-time caps leader and captain Andres Guardado announced his retirement from international soccer.
Ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League, Mexico will take part in a June 10 friendly against Cameroon at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium.
At the same venue on Thursday, MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced that the city of San Diego had been given an expansion franchise, increasing the league's total number of teams to 30. San Diego's MLS club will begin play in 2025.