As Briseño lauds Chicharito’s Chivas influence, will striker start vs Cruz Azul?

Chivas Guadalajara defender Antonio Briseño has hailed Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández’s positive influence on Los Rojiblancos’ squad, in the wake of the veteran striker’s return to the Liga MX club.

Hernández, 35, rejoined Chivas in January, 14 years after leaving his boyhood club for Premier League giants Manchester United.

Briseño lauds impact of “fantastic” Hernández

As he completes his recovery from an ACL injury, Hernández is yet to make his first start since signing an initial two-year deal at Estadio Akron. However, the former Mexico international made his second Chivas debut as a late substitute in last weekend’s Clausura 2024 win over Pumas, and it is evident that he has already established himself as a vocal member of the dressing room.

“Chicharito is a fantastic guy to have around,” Briseño told ‘AS en W’, an AS México sports talk show broadcast on the Mexican station W Radio. “He offers so much to his team-mates. He’s always talking to you, giving you his take on things.”

Briseño added: “People that are a motivating influence are so good for the squad, and that’s exactly what Chicharito is.”

Chivas ready for “intense” Cruz Azul

Before a trio of clashes against arch rivals Club América this month, Chivas must first come through a weekend match-up with another Liga MX powerhouse, Cruz Azul. The men from Mexico City are a side whose strengths are clear to Briseño.

“Cruz Azul are a really intense team,” he said. “They never stop harrying you when you’ve got the ball. Even if your goalkeeper has it, they keep on pressing… So given the way they play, we know the game plan we’ve got to follow.”

Chivas sit eighth in the Clausura 2024 standings, having halted a two-game losing run by beating Pumas 3-1 on matchday eight. Along with Cade Cowell and Víctor Guzmán, Briseño was on target for the 12-time Mexican champions, who last won the Liga MX title in the Clausura 2017.

“I’ve been trying to improve my game in front of goal,” Briseño told ‘AS en W’. “On top of the hours I’ve been putting in on the training pitch, I’ve been doing video analysis.

“I got in touch with a Spanish specialist to do some analysis, and I watched the movements that [Sevilla’s former Real Madrid defender] Sergio Ramos makes and have tried to do the same things. It’s something I’ve been working on for a while.”

Cruz Azul vs Chivas Guadalajara: date, time, how to watch

On matchday 10 of the Clausura 2024 tournament, Chivas visit Cruz Azul on Saturday 2 March 2024, with kick-off at the Estadio Azteca scheduled for 8:05pm ET/5:05pm PT. Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the game on TUDN USA and Univisión.

Could Chicharito start for Chivas against Cruz Azul?

Speaking after Chivas’ win over Pumas, head coach Gago offered up remarks that suggest Hernández is unlikely to be in the Guadalajarans’ line-up at the weekend.

“He has made his playing comeback after coming through a horrible [injury] situation,” Gago told reporters. “It’s very lonely, really tough to deal with [when you’re recovering from a serious injury].

“You have to be mentally very strong and work hard - and that’s the case with Javier. Our plan with him is to take things ever so gradually […], because he’s got to readapt after eight months out.”