Mexico captain Edson Alvarez will undergo tests in the coming days after being forced to withdraw with an injury in the first half of his team's Copa America victory over Jamaica on Saturday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
After running back during a Jamaican counter-attack, the West Ham midfielder suddenly fell to the ground in pain, clutching his left hamstring.
Alvarez had to be helped off the field in obvious pain and was visibly distraught about his match, and potentially his tournament, which came to an end after less than 30 minutes.
“With Edson we are going to wait a couple of days to give him an exam and know exactly what he has,” Mexico coach Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano said in a post-match press conference. “Obviously, as with any other player, the intention is not to risk anything. He felt something in his leg.”
In both teams' opening match of the competition, Michail Antonio appeared to put Jamaica ahead with a close-range header in the 50th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside following a video review.
Mexico secured a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a 69th-minute goal from Gerardo Arteaga from the edge of the penalty area.
“It's not easy to recover and keep your balance after your captain leaves so quickly… but it seems to me that the team stabilized quickly,” Lozano added.
On Friday, Álvarez said he got goosebumps at the thought of captaining Mexico for the first time in a major tournament.
Álvarez is a key and experienced figure in a young Mexico team undergoing a generational change under Lozano in the Copa América. Since his debut with Mexico in February 2017, only Jesús Gallardo has played more games The Tri than Álvarez's 80s.
He has also played more minutes for Mexico than any other player since Lozano took over last year.
Mexico will next play Venezuela, which beat Ecuador 2-1 in the day's other Group B match, in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday. The group ends on June 30, when Mexico plays Ecuador in Glendale, Arizona.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
