AC Milan’s Santi Gimenez headlines Mexico squad as Raúl Jiménez omitted from October friendlies

Santi Gimenez, Mexico

AC Milan striker Santi Giménez headlines Mexico’s 25-man squad for October friendlies, with notable absences including Raúl Jiménez, Julián Araujo and Edson Álvarez. El Tri will face South American foes Colombia and Ecuador in the FIFA window, with Javier Aguirre's roster featuring a mix of surprise inclusions and omissions.

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Full squad list

Here is Aguirre's 25-man squad:

Goalkeepers: Luis Ángel Malagón, Raúl Rangel, Carlos Acevedo

Defenders: Kevin Álvarez, Israel Reyes, Mateo Chávez, Ramón Juárez, Jorge Sánchez, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Jesús Gallardo

Midfielders: Carlos Rodríguez, Orbelín Pineda, Alexis Gutiérrez, Erick Sánchez, Erik Lira, Luis Romo

Forwards: Santiago Giménez, Julián Quiñones, Germán Berterame, Hirving Lozano, César Huerta, Alexis Vega, Diego Lainez

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Key absences

The squad announcement also highlighted some notable absences. Key European-based players such as Jiménez,  Álvarez, Guillermo Ochoa, and  Araujo are not included, while Rodrigo Huescas misses out due to injury.

Raúl Jiménez’s absence is surprising, as he is chasing Javier Hernández’s record as Mexico’s all-time top scorer. However, with nothing left to prove to Aguirre, he is still Mexico’s leading attacker, and the coach chose to leave him out for this FIFA window. Captain Álvarez is also missing, as he is still recovering from a muscle injury sustained during the September FIFA date against Japan while adjusting to life at Fenerbahçe.

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Surprise picks

The 25-man squad features some surprise call-ups of players who haven’t been called up recently, including Alexis Gutiérrez, Kevin Álvarez, and Luis Romo, along with the return of Julián Quiñones and Santos Laguna goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo.

Gutiérrez is enjoying an excellent run with América and will be looking to make his case to Aguirre for a World Cup spot. Meanwhile, Kevin Álvarez’s call-up comes due to Huescas’ ACL injury, which will keep him sidelined for several months.

Fixtures across two countries

Mexico will first take on Colombia on Saturday, Oct. 11, at AT&T Stadium. Three days later, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, El Tri return to Guadalajara to wrap up the month against Ecuador at Estadio Akron.