Veteran 'Chucky' Recalled, Marquez Insists Lozano Remains an Indispensable Attacking Weapon for La Tri

Mexico's new head coach Marquez has publicly backed Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano's return to the national team, insisting the veteran Los Angeles Galaxy forward is fully capable of playing a pivotal, match-changing role at the international level.

Looking back, Lozano's last cap for La Tri came in a friendly against Uruguay in November 2025, after which he was left out of the national team – notably missing from the World Cup squad this summer.

Speaking about the reasons for his recall, Marquez made his stance clear at the pre-match press conference ahead of his managerial debut – a friendly against Colombia on Saturday: 'I decided to bring Hirving back because I firmly believe he can still provide us with additional value. He is the kind of player who can turn the tide at crucial moments.' The new coach also added that Lozano's influence within the Mexican squad has long been beyond question.

The reason Lozano had been absent from the national team traces back to an off-pitch dispute with the San Diego FC first team – a matter dating back to last year that resulted in him being sidelined for an extended period. Last month, the 31-year-old forward joined Los Angeles Galaxy on loan, scoring one goal and providing one assist in his first eight appearances since the move as he gradually regained his form.

Marquez's goal is to build on Mexico's impressive World Cup run – a tournament in which La Tri fell 2-3 to England in the Round of 16. He revealed that following his takeover from predecessor Aguirre, the initial squad selection would not see major changes.

'We will largely preserve the foundation we built during the World Cup,' the coach, who has won the Champions League twice as a player, elaborated at Friday's press conference. 'Our playing style will also remain largely consistent, given the limited time window we have for tactical adjustments and squad changes. Of course, we will selectively incorporate some new ideas, striving to improve our attacking and defensive approaches in specific game situations, but overall, the changes will not be drastic.'

Despite the emergence of some promising newcomers in the squad, such as young talents Hugo Cambrellos and Santiago Sandoval from Guadalajara, Marquez's selection strategy remains firmly anchored in the experienced core that featured at the World Cup. However, leading striker Raul Jimenez and Ballon d'Or nominee Julian Quinones are both sidelined with injuries, currently in recovery.

Looking ahead to the clash with Colombia, Marquez candidly acknowledged that this matchup would not be an easy win – Colombia also exited at the Round of 16 stage at the World Cup.

'Colombia has consistently been a tough opponent for us recently,' he stated bluntly. 'In roughly the last six meetings, we have failed to beat them, so this match is certainly not going to be straightforward.'

According to the fixture schedule, Mexico will face Peru next Tuesday after their encounter with Colombia, followed by a match against the United States on October 3, and then a clash with Chile on October 6.

It is worth noting that Marquez served as Aguirre's assistant coach during the World Cup preparation phase. Aguirre's contract officially expired after the tournament, and he subsequently moved to become the head coach of Valencia in La Liga earlier this week.