Fernando Gago, coach of the flock, has made the decision not to call up four key starting players for their upcoming debut in the Concacaf Champions Cup against Forge. The technical director of Chivas has opted to give Roberto Alvarado, Víctor Guzmán, Erick Gutiérrez, and Gilberto Orozco a rest in order to “maintain a balance in workloads,” as reported by the club through a press release.
Gutiérrez and Orozco, along with Raúl Rangel, are the only players who have played the full 450 minutes in the five games of the Clausura 2024 season. In addition, Roberto Alvarado has only missed two minutes of play in the local tournament. Meanwhile, Víctor Guzmán, the captain of Chivas, has started in all five games of the season but has been substituted in three of them.
This decision means that Chivas will debut in the Concacaf Champions Cup without three players who have played a key role in the team’s seven goals so far this season. Guzmán has scored two goals, while Gutiérrez and Alvarado have each contributed one goal and one assist.
The first leg of the First Round against Forge will take place on Wednesday, February 7. The series against the Canadian team will culminate on Tuesday, February 13 at Akron Stadium. This decision by Gago reflects the team’s focus on balancing their players’ workloads and maintaining their performance in both the local league and the international competition.