Tigres winger Jurgen Damm says he hoped to take part of March's Mexico national team camp but won't have that opportunity after suffering an adductor injury against Chivas on Saturday.
Damm was part of manager Juan Carlos Osorio's original roster, but the Mexican federation announced Sunday night that he won't be able to take part. With the friendly matches against Iceland and Croatia the last national team games in which to impress Osorio ahead of his World Cup camp, the 25-year-old struggled to hide his frustration. He also noted he was hoping to be in camp even with the injury but Tigres preferred he recover with the club's medical staff.
"I'm sad because of the injury situation. I came in with a lot of hope, with a big feeling of happiness to be able to return to the national team. I've always said it's my biggest pride. My biggest dream is to represent Mexico, but, well, those are things that happen in soccer and now I'm going to recover as quickly as possible," he told TVC.
"I'm very thankful with the manager because he's always had a lot of support for me, right now the situation was an injury thing. They're things that happen in soccer. My hope was to stay here in the national team with the group and rehabilitate myself there, but they came to an agreement and as Tigres is the one that has the ultimate decision, you have to return and do recovery as well as possible and return as soon as possible."
The Mexican federation's news release left the door open for Damm and fellow Tigres winger Javier Aquino, who also had to pull out of camp because of an injury suffered against Chivas, to play the second match of the friendly window. "Aquino and Damm will undergo recovery with their team and, depending on [the club] will be analyzed to see if they're able to join the Mexican national team for the match on Tuesday the 27th in (Arlington), Texas," the release said.
Tigres manager Ricardo "Tuca" Ferretti said that won't happen for either player.
"No, there isn’t. Those players are going to be here so they really can recover to 100 percent," Ferretti said when asked at a news conference Monday whether there's a chance Damm and Aquino will join up with the team in Texas. "We’re not sure if they’re going to be able to play the next match with us, that’s in two weeks. It’s impossible."
