Kevin Álvarez admits injuries affected his mental health

América defender Kevin Álvarez opened up about how he struggled to deal with injury problems during his first season with the Azulcremas first team. Apart from recovering and returning to full fitness, the young right-back admitted being hit hard by the psychological side of being sidelined - something that he found difficult to manage.

“It was tough to take (being out injured), the downturn hits you both mentally and physically But at the end of the day, as a team we are back at full strength, we are progressing quickly and we are heading into the quarter finals in good shape,” he said.

The former Pachuca youth team player suffered an injury to his adductor in October, which meant he missed the last game of the regular season, against Tigres. In spite of his young age, he has been a key player for the Águilas right the way through the campaign, missing just three games in the entire competition, where he has played 1,187 minutes in total.

The Mexican full-back is fully aware that whatever América acchieved in the regular season is behind them and that the Liguilla represents a new, tougher challenge. Nevertheless, he insists that he will be facing it with optimism and as a new opportunity to shine and consolidate himself in the Coapa club.

“[Being in the quarter final] is a motivation, but we are starting from scratch. We have to refocus, start the Liguilla giving our all while knowing that it is do or die in each game. We know that we can achieve it; I’m optimistic and we know that we can face it well,” he continued.

Álvarez went on to add that, while he has only missed a few matches, the pressure within the club is very high and being sidelined can quickly complicate a player’s progression. He realizes that he’s crucial to know how to face those setbacks to achieve the objective.

“I think it is just the way the club is - it’s the custom. The players who have been here a while know about all that type of pressure we are under, but mentally, they know that we are going to do things well. We focus on ourselves, no matter who the rival is. We are going to try to do what we have been doing and try to give the best we’ve got,” he explained.

The Colima-born full-back hopes to be one of the dangermen in this week’s quarter finals; with three goals and the same number of assists, in the Liga MX and Leagues Cup, he has become an important member of André Jardine’s side.