Manchester United’s former player Javier Hernandez is to miss out on the 2022 World Cup Finals.
The popular Mexican won’t be included in his countries squad for this years finals in Qatar, despite representing them at each of the past 3 tournaments.
And according to The Mirror, news of the striker’s exclusion comes direct from his Mexico national team manager, Tata Martino.
Despite earning 109 caps and scoring 54 goals over a 13 year international career for “El Tri”, Hernandez hasn’t appeared for his country since leaving Europe for the MLS back in 2019.
And Martino has explained that the former United man will not be selected because of an abundance of strikers available to him.
“In the case of Chicharito, we are simply going with other forwards,” Martino told the media ahead of Mexico’s upcoming games against Peru and Colombia. “We will try to choose the 26 players who are closest to our game.
“We have two [forwards] who can play and two who can’t,” the former Barcelona boss added. “What I like is that we don’t have not enough players.
“Four forwards are not going to go [to Qatar], but as long as they make it difficult for me to choose, I’m very happy about that. Surely there will be talk of who is left out, but the problem will be abundance and not scarcity.”
Hernandez had been selected for each of the previous three competitions, in 2010, 2014 and 2018, keeping up his reputation as a dangerous goalscorer by bagging goals in each of the finals.
And although goals had become a little more hard to come by for Chicharito while at Sevilla in Spain, his move to The United States to join LA Galaxy in 2020, has proved a fruitful one.
The ex United danger man has kept up his prolific record by helping himself to better than a goal every other game, registering 34 goals in just 62 games.
And his goal scoring prowess is showing no signs of slowing as the 34 year old has already scored 15 goals for the Galaxy this season.
Asked if he would represent United again over the summer, should they come calling, Hernandez spoke with great affection of his time at Old Trafford.
“If United came for me then I’d say ‘yes, I’ll play for free.’ Of course, you know, I’d do that”
“But I also want to be very respectful to my club. I am playing very consistently and in my mind my conviction is all about winning a championship with LA Galaxy. In the future, if things happen then they happen – but in my mind I am 100 percent with LA.”
Despite being a fan favourite for both club and country, the man affectionately know as “The Little Pea”, will no doubt be heartbroken to be denied a fourth appearance at a World Cup Finals tournament.
