MEXICAN NATIONAL TEAM
Hirving Lozano injury update: when will he be back? Will he play for Mexico?
The Napoli forward suffered a sprain against Fiorentina in Serie A, and now it seems as though the rehabilitation process could take several weeks.
A late injury could prevent Hirving Lozano from appearing with the Mexican National Teama in their busy summer in which they play in two competitions: the Concacaf Nations League and the Gold Cup. The Napoli striker already knows the extent of the injury he suffered in the match against Fiorentina, in which the Gli Azzurri celebrated their first Italian title since 1990. Lozano was replaced after 45 minutes by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and watched on from the bench as Napoli won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Víctor Osimhen in the second half from the penalty spot.
The medical report is not the most flattering for Lozano. The examination, made by the head of the team’s medical staff, Raffaele Canonico, revealed that Lozano has a second-degree sprain in his left knee. ‘Chucky’ underwent a scan at the Villa Stuart Clinic in Rome and, according to the information disclosed by the club, the rehabilitation process will be evaluated in the coming days. Generally, the recovery time for this type of injury is somewhere between four and eight weeks. Given this tight turnaround, Lozano would not arrive in time for the Final Four of the Nations League, which begins on June 15, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mexico have a busy schedule without ‘Chucky’
‘El Tri’ will play in the semi-final of the Nations League, on June 15, against their greatest rival: the United States. If they advance, they will play the final of the tournament on Sunday the 18th (all Final Four matches will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas). After that, the Concacaf Gold Cup will start when the United States will open the tournament against Jamaica at Soldier Field in Chicago. Mexico will debut in the Gold Cup on June 25, against Honduras, at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Unlike before, when he was a sure starter, Lozano’s participation in any of these games is now not entirely guaranteed.
His club sent a message of encouragement to Lozano, whose participation in the 2022-2023 season ended when the extent of the injury was confirmed. Lozano has a contract with Napoli until 2024, although in recent days, after winning Serie A, he expressed his intentions to stay longer in southern Italy.
