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Mexico captain Edson Álvarez will miss the rest of the Copa América after suffering a hamstring injury, confirmed the men's national team player on Tuesday.
"Unfortunately, my participation in the Copa América has come to a close," said a social media post from the West Ham United midfielder, who stated he would maintain an off-the-field role. "But I also wanted to let you know that I have made the decision to stay with the team until the end."
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Alvarez, 26, limped out of Mexico's Copa opener vs. Jamaica last Saturday after hitting the ground and clutching his left hamstring following a counter from the opposition in the first half.
Despite El Tri going on to win the game 1-0 thanks to a strike from Gerardo Arteaga, the result would prove to be a bittersweet one for manager Jaime "Jimmy" Lozano and his men as they're now without a key leader.
Earlier on Tuesday, Lozano noted that possibly losing the player to injury "would be a heavy blow" for the national team.
In his place, the coach said that 27-year-old Almería defender César Montes would now take the captain's armband.
Edson Álvarez's injury is a blow for Mexico. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
"Now it's César's turn to captain and I think he's going to help us a lot too," Lozano said.
"The same with Julio [Gonzalez], Johan [Vasquez], I like to see soccer a little from the back going forward and I think they are the people who have a bit more stability."
Depending on the result of the other Group B matchup between Ecuador and Jamaica, both Mexico and Venezuela are seeking to possibly secure a spot in the Copa knockout round with a win on Wednesday.
Following the second round of games, Group B will close out with Mexico playing Ecuador and Jamaica taking on Venezuela Sunday.
Source: espn.co.uk