Mexico'S Guardado faces fitness race for USA playoff after injury

Mexico midfielder Andrés Guardado is a fitness doubt for the CONCACAF Cup playoff against USA next month after damaging ankle ligaments on Tuesday.

Guardado suffered the injury during the second half of PSV Eindhoven’s 2-1 victory over Manchester United on Tuesday. PSV confirmed the knock in a release on Wednesday and noted Guardado is expected to miss the next few weeks as he recovers.

The extent of the damage remains uncertain at this point. Guardado underwent an initial MRI after the victory in Eindhoven, but the swelling in his ankle limited the effectiveness of the scan. Guardado is expected to undergo a second scan when the swelling subsides to determine how long he must spend on the sidelines, according to PSV.

Guardado’s availability for the Confederations Cup playoff against the Americans on Oct. 10 hinges on a swift recovery. The short duration between his initial injury -- sustained during a challenge with United defender Chris Smalling -- and the playoff in three weeks’ time places his presence for the one-off tie at the Rose Bowl in doubt.

If Guardado is ruled out of the match, then it would constitute a significant blow to El Tri’s preparations. Guardado served as Mexico captain during the run to the CONCACAF Gold Cup title summer and shouldered a significant role in the buildup in midfield.

Mexico manager Ricardo Ferretti faces a difficult task to replace his influential midfielder if Guardado misses out. Ferretti named several potential alternatives -- including Club León midfielders Luis Montes and Carlos Peña for a three-man midfield, plus winger Jesús Corona if he opts for a four-man midfield -- as part of a 32-man preliminary squad released by CONCACAF yesterday.