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Marco Fabián reported to Mexico’s pre-Gold Cup training camp with his eyes still set on representing El Tri in the upcoming tournament but a report from Univision Deportes states that Philadelphia Union midfielder has already been ruled out.
The report notes that the ankle injury the 29-year-old suffered against LA Galaxy in mid-April is still causing him trouble.
Fabián came off the bench and played a half hour in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Minnesota United. It was his first minutes since he re-aggravated the ankle in a start against against Toronto FC on May 11.
Head coach Jim Curtin had this to say about his star midfielder in the post-game interview in Saint Paul on Sunday:
“I had a discussion with Marco and it becomes about, if we rewind to Toronto, we were probably too quick in giving him that 60 minutes there and he winded up aggravating it, so we have to be a little more disciplined with our approach. I thought we gave him 20+ minutes last time, a little longer this time around, and now we want to get him ready to start because again he’s a guy that can change a game. I thought he came in and did a really good job at holding the ball up, playing as a second striker, we’re a little bit thin at striker right now with Fafa [Picault]’s injury, so he was asked to play a different role today, he did it great, eventually got him back into the ten where he’s a little more comfortable and he made some big plays for us. Just a matter of not wanting to have too much too soon and re-aggravating it, because ankles are tricky. It’s that last five percent of healing that’s really difficult to get, and I think he’s getting to be fully there, which is a good thing for us.”
Mexico plays Venezuela in a friendly Wednesday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Fabián’s absence leaves three other Philadelphia Union players with eyes on a Gold Cup spot. Andre Blake and Bethlehem Steel FC defender Jamoi Topey were both called into the Reggae Boyz squad for Wednesday’s friendly with the U.S. in Washington D.C. and Warren Creavalle is on Guyana’s roster.