Marquez headlines Mexico's Confederations Cup squad

Rafael Marquez has only played 22 minutes since undergoing back surgery in March but is in the Mexico squad for the Confederations Cup.

Mexico captain Rafael Marquez has been included in the 23-man squad selected by Juan Carlos Osorio for the Confederations Cup.

Former Barcelona defender Marquez, 38, was a doubt for the tournament having only returned from March back surgery as a second-half substitute in Mexico's 3-1 victory over Republic of Ireland last week.

It could be a busy close-season for Marquez, who was also named in Osorio's preliminary 40-player roster for the 2017 Gold Cup, which gets under way in the United States on July 7, on Wednesday.

Javier Hernandez became Mexico's all-time leading goalscorer with his 47th international strike in a friendly defeat to Croatia in May and is the stand-out name in a wealth of attacking options.

Hernandez is joined by the likes of Oribe Peralta, Raul Jimenez, Carlos Vela, Giovani dos Santos, Marco Fabian and Hirving Lozano – the Pachuca forward who has been linked with a close-season switch to Europe.

Lozano was also named in the provisional Gold Cup squad. Rodolfo Cota, Oswaldo Alanis, Nestor Araujo, Luis Reyes and Peralta are the other players to feature in both lists.

Mexico faces Portugal, New Zealand and Russia in the Confederations Cup group stage, while El Salvador, Jamaica and Curacao await in the Gold Cup.

 

Mexico's squad for the Confederations Cup:

Goalkeepers: Rodolfo Cota, Guillermo Ochoa, Alfredo Talavera.

Defenders: Oswaldo Alanis, Nestor Araujo, Rafael Marquez, Hector Moreno, Diego Reyes, Luis Reyes, Carlos Salcedo.

Midfielders: Jonathan dos Santos, Andres Guardado, Hector Herrera, Miguel Layun.

Forwards: Javier Aquino, Jesus Manuel Corona, Giovani dos Santos, Marco Fabian, Javier Hernandez, Raul Jimenez, Hirving Lozano, Oribe Peralta, Carlos Vela.