Mexico coach Miguel Herrera has included Giovani dos Santos and Carlos Salcido in his squad for the World Cup.
Herrera offered few surprises when he announced his final 23-man roster at a press conference in Mexico City on Friday afternoon.
Regular fixtures Javier Hernández, Rafael Márquez and Oribe Peralta all earned their expected places in the group. Márquez will captain the side for a fourth World Cup. Dos Santos and Salcido also made the cut after considerable scrutiny about their potential roles heading into the World Cup.
Herrera publicly debated the merits of naming Giovani in his squad with the influential schemer offering a poor fit in his 5-3-2 setup. The Mexico boss eventually decided to name the Villarreal midfielder in his ranks to offer some additional creativity as a potential second forward option.
Salcido also returns for his third World Cup after a spell out of the team after Herrera recently hinted at his potential selection. The versatile Tigres defender offers cover across the back line and as a deep-lying midfielder.
Herrera also solved his goalkeeping conundrum by choosing Jesús Corona, Guillermo Ochoa and Alfredo Talavera. Corona and Ochoa are expected to vie for the starting berth with Talavera expected to serve as the third goalkeeper. Club América number one Moisés Muñoz just missed out on a place in the squad.
Tigres defender Hugo Ayala also missed out after reports included him in the ranks earlier this week, but Maza Rodríguez retained his place in defense. José Juan Vázquez earned a spot in midfield after his fine displays with Club León during the Clausura, while Herrera made room for both Raúl Jiménez and Alan Pulido up front.
Goalkeepers: Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul), Guillermo Ochoa (Ajaccio), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca)
Defenders: Paul Aguilar (Club América), Andrés Guardado (Bayer Leverkusen), Miguel Layún (Club América), Rafael Márquez (Club León), Héctor Moreno (Espanyol), Diego Reyes (FC Porto), Francisco Rodríguez (Club America), Carlos Salcido (Tigres UANL)
Midfielders: Isaac Brizuela (Toluca), Marco Fabián (Cruz Azul), Héctor Herrera (FC Porto), Juan Carlos Medina (Club América), Luis Montes (Club León), Carlos Peña (Club Leòn), José Juan Vázquez (Club León)
Forwards: Giovani Dos Santos (Villarreal), Javier Hernández (Manchester United), Raúl Jiménez (Club América), Oribe Peralta (Santos Laguna), Alan Pulido (Tigres (UANL)
