The Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers are upon us once again, which means that the best soccer players on Earth will get the honor of playing for their national teams to try and lead them to the most important tournament on the planet.
This time, however, most of those who play in European tournaments didn't get the green light to join their national teams, either due to Covid-19- related restrictions or out of fear of suffering an injury.
Those measures took a toll on the Mexican national team, as Gerardo 'Tata' Martino won't count with Napoli star Hirving Lozano. But what happened and why won't the striker take part in El Tri's upcoming fixtures?
Why Isn't Hirving Lozano Playing For Mexico?
Hirving Lozano was on the worst end of a terrible collision while playing for Mexico in the Gold Cup. He was ruled out for the remainder of the competition and wasn't able to play again until last weekend.
Napoli are being extremely cautious with one of their most valuable assets, so even if Martino called him up to play for El Tri, chances are that Luciano Spalleti's team wasn't going to grant him permission anyway.
With Inter going through a panic sale and Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Juventus, the Serie A is once again wide open and Napoli are looking forward to making a run at the Scudetto, meaning they can't afford to have one of their best players on the shelf for long.
Even so, Mexico should do just fine without the former Pachuca standout. They'll play against Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Panama but shouldn't have much trouble getting past the three of them.
The Mexican side is a lock to qualify for the upcoming World Cup, so Martino will most likely test some alternatives to try and round up his roster for the tournament. As for Lozano, he'll continue to work on getting back to full strength.
