Mexico captain Edson Álvarez will miss the rest of the Copa América after suffering a hamstring injury, confirmed the men’s national team player on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, my participation in the Copa América has come to a close,” said a social media post from the West Ham United midfielder, who stated he would maintain an off-the-field role. “But I also wanted to let you know that I have made the decision to stay with the team until the end.”
Alvarez, 26, limped out of Mexico’s Copa opener vs. Jamaica last Saturday after hitting the ground and clutching his left hamstring following a counter from the opposition in the first half.
Despite El Tri going on to win the game 1-0 thanks to a strike from Gerardo Arteaga, the result would prove to be a bittersweet one for manager Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano and his men as they’re now without a key leader.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lozano noted that possibly losing the player to injury “would be a heavy blow” for the national team.
In his place, the coach said that 27-year-old Almeria defender César Montes would now take the captain’s armband.
“Now it’s César’s turn to captain and I think he’s going to help us a lot too,” Lozano said.
“The same with Julio [Gonzalez], Johan [Vasquez], I like to see soccer a little from the back going forward and I think they are the people who have a bit more stability.”
Depending on the result of the other Group B matchup between Ecuador and Jamaica, both Mexico and Venezuela are seeking to possibly secure a spot in the Copa knockout round with a win on Wednesday.
Following the second round of games, Group B will close out with Mexico playing Ecuador and Jamaica taking on Venezuela Sunday.