Carlos Vela

Giovani dos Santos, Carlos Vela still can't get into Mexico team as El Tri name roster

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:43 p.m. ET

Ryan Rosenblatt

Juan Carlos Osorio has named Mexico's team for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against El Salvador and Honduras. It's a side that has been weakened by the injuries to Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Oribe Peralta, but even with the duo out, Giovani dos Santos and Carlos Vela couldn't get a look in what appears to be a pretty big statement about their status in the national team.

The matches don't actually mean anything for Mexico. They have already clinched first place in their group and a spot in the final round of qualifying. Still, Osorio has called in a rather strong team and is clearly looking to run off some wins after an embarrassing end to Copa America Centenario.

Neither dos Santos nor Vela were on that Copa America team. Osorio said dos Santos rejected a call-up and now the attacker is nearing a year since his last appearance for El Tri, while Vela has been on the outside looking in for much of Osorio's reign and hasn't been in the team since Real Sociedad asked Mexico not to call him up for qualifiers in March. The absences of Chicharito and Peralta, Mexico's top two strikers, appeared to open the door for dos Santos and Vela, but apparently not.

Instead, it looks like Osorio is going to give chances to two of his brighter young stars: Hirving Lozano and Jesus "Tecatito" Corona. He is also calling in Angel Sepulveda, Martin Barragan and Angel Zaldivar as forwards, none of whom have ever suited up for the senior national team before.

Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa, Alfredo Talavera, Jose Corona

Defenders: Rafael Marquez, Nestor Araujo, Diego Reyes, Hector Moreno, Yasser Corona, Jose Torres Nilo, Paul Aguilar, Miguel Layun

Midfielders: Jesus Molina, Jesus Duenas, Andres Guardado, Hector Herrera, Carlos Pena

Forwards: Raul Jimenez, Hirving Lozano, Jesus Corona, Javier Aquino, Candido Ramirez, Angel Sepulveda, Martin Barragan, Angel Zaldivar

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