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El Tri in spotlight, Liga MX poised to return

By Thomas Buckley

Jesús Corona dazzled with his footwork against the Netherlands in El Tri's 1-0 win in Amsterdam. (Photo by Laurens Lindhout/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Jesús Corona dazzled with his footwork against the Netherlands in El Tri's 1-0 win in Amsterdam. (Photo by Laurens Lindhout/Soccrates/Getty Images) /
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Liga MX FIFA break
Defender Igor Lichnovsky is en route to Saudi Arabia after arranging a trade away from Cruz Azul. (Photo by Leopoldo Smith/Getty Images) /

Lichnovsky departure shakes up Cruz Azul

Chilean defender Igor Lichnovsky brokered a deal with a Saudi Arabian club where he will reunite with former Cruz Azul coach Pedro Caixinha.

Cruz Azul was not looking to make a deal, but the offer from Al-Shabab was just too lucrative to pass up. It was the first move by the Cementeros’ front office since team president “Billy” Álvarez took flight, disappearing after criminal charges were filed against him.

Universal Deportes reported that Lichnovsky came to management with the details and, despite resistance from a sporting perspective, the Cementeros accepted the terms. The financial offer was too significant to pass up, especially considering the pandemic-induced economic situation across the league.

With the season about to enter the home stretch, the transfer leaves the Cementeros a bit thin at the back. Veteran Julio César Domínguez and Josue Reyes are the likely pairing in central defense against the powerful Tigres on Saturday.

Coach Robert Siboldi will have to resist the temptation to rush Pablo Aguilar back before he’s ready. The Paraguayan hardman played for Cruz Azul’s U-20 team last week, his first test since February surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament. If the central defender is near top form, he’ll be a huge addition down the stretch as the Cementeros attempt to solidify their playoff seeding.

Players on the mend

Perhaps the biggest winners during the FIFA break are the teams whose walking wounded gained an extra week to recover from knocks and bruises.

Chivas captain Jesús Molina appears set to return to the pitch after a knee sprain three weeks ago, just in time for Saturday’s “Clásico Tapatío.”

The Pumas are hoping striker Carlos González and defender Nicolás Freire are free and clear of the coronavirus by mid-week so they can be back in uniform against Toluca on Sunday. The pair was held out of UNAM’s 2-2 draw in the “Clásico Capitalino.”

Next. Martino defends training regimen. dark

América awaits medical updates on three defenders – Sebastián Cáceres, Emanuel Aguilera and Paul Aguilar – each of whom is nursing leg ailments. Midfielder Sergio Díaz was back at full training after hobbling out of an Aguilas practice on Sept. 14.

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