Javier Hernandez not worried about calls for Oribe Peralta to bench him
The Manchester United striker has come under fire for a slow start in the Premier League, while Santos' Peralta was recently named MVP of the Liga MX.
Sep 6, 2012 9:15:00 PM
Bob Levey
Don't Miss
Updated - 10:42 PM EST
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Javier Hernandez dismissed any belief that he is uncomfortable with coming off the bench for Mexico in Friday's World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica.
The Manchester United striker was recently dropped down in his club's depth chart following the signing of Robin van Persie. Hernandez has appeared in just one Premier League game this season, totaling 20 minutes on the pitch amidst the suggestion that Mexican NT manager Jose Manuel de la Torre might drop Hernandez in favor of Oribe Peralta, who is on a good run of form for club and country.
Following his gold medal at London 2012, Peralta was also named the Liga MX's MVP after a strong Clausura 2012 season helped Santos net the league championship.
"That's a topic for the manager, [Oribe's] a great player and if I get to play alongside him, we're going to give it all on the pitch," Hernandez said on Thursday.
"There's 11 players in the starting lineup, seven go to the bench and the rest watch from the stands. The competition will always be there," admitted Hernandez. "To me, it's great when the manager has a hard time choosing [who starts]", he continued.
In San Jose, de la Torre is expected to trot out a 4-2-3-1 lineup where Hernandez would presumably be preferred. However, Peralta's hot streak might oblige the former Chivas manager to start him over Chicharito, or go to a 4-2-2-2 with both strikers getting the nod.
Hernandez also referenced the rash of injuries that affected Mexico's midfield, with Cruz Azul's Pablo Barrera joining Mallorca's Giovani dos Santos on the disabled list.
"He's a player who I've spent some time with here in the national team, it's bad that these injuries have happened because that's something you don't ever wish upon anyone, health is such an important thing. But, let's hope that Pablo can recover soon," Hernandez said.
Cruz Azul's Javier Aquino or Monterrey's Angel Reyna are expected to fill in for Barrera at the Estadio Nacional on Friday.
Upon arriving in Costa Rica, Hernandez, who has 25 goals in 39 games with Mexico, noted that his team was not expecting a walk in the park on Friday. "It's a tough game. We're facing a complicated team in Costa Rica, but we expect to go out there and give it our best so we can take all three points."
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