Macías suffers new knee injury; Chivas visit Pumas in Matchday 8 contest

Tragic news from Chivas camp Friday as Guadalajara announced that JJ Macías suffered a knee injury during practice and the once-promising striker will be out up to nine months.

The 23-year-old had just returned to full training after injuring the same knee back in June and missing the entire Apertura 2022.

Macías first made headlines as a teenager while on loan to León, helping the Esmeraldas to the Clausura 2019 final while finishing the season as the top-scoring Mexican in the league.

The Guadalajara native had been seen as the heir apparent to “Chicharito” Hernández in the El Tri attack. He had 36 goals in 95 Liga MX games and 6 goals in 12 playoff games before last year’s injury.

Liga MX calendar

Matchday 8 continues Saturday with four attractive contests topped by Guadalajara at UNAM in an unusual Saturday night game at the CU.

The Liga MX festivities kick off this afternoon with simultaneous matches in San Luis Potosí and Monterrey. At 5 p.m., the Tuneros welcome Santos Laguna to Estadio Alfonso Lastras and at 5:06 p.m., the host Rayados take on Necaxa.

At 7 pm, Tigres pay a visit to Atlas while the Pumas-Chivas game brings down the curtain with a 9 pm start.

The Chivas are undefeated in their past four contests and seem to be grasping the tactics and concepts of new coach Veljko Paunovic, a newcomer to Liga MX.

The unfortunate Macías news is a big disappointment as he was seen as the answer to their offensive shortcomings which have been exacerbated by the absence of Alexis Vega (out another month after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee).

Guadalajara has just 8 goals in 7 games, but a stingy defense has allowed the club to post a 3-3-1 record.

In Saturday’s first matches, Atlético de San Luis and Santos Laguna will tussle to get their respective season’s back on track. The host Tuneros have lost two straight and are in 10th place with 8 points (–2 goal differential) while the 9th-place Guerreros are winless in their last three, leaving them with 8 points (–1 differential).

In Monterrey, the Rayados put their 6-game win streak on the line against a modest Necaxa side that has conceded 11 goals in 7 games. With 18 points from a 6-0-1 record, “los regiomontanos” will look to extend their stay atop the Liga MX table.

The 3rd-place Tigres (15 points) will hope to make quick work against a struggling Atlas team as they’ll face the Chivas next weekend. However, they’ll have to make do without star striker André-Pierre Gignac (thigh injury) who’ll miss up to a month. The in-season acquisition of Nicolás Ibáñez (top scorer in Liga MX last season) should help alleviate the concern.

Liga MX scoreboard

A Friday night doubleheader saw struggling Cruz Azul earn its first win of the season (3-1 at Puebla) while FC Juárez had to settle for a 0-0 draw against visiting León despite playing 40 minutes with a man advantage.

Interim coach Joaquín Moreno watched the Cementeros score more than 2 goals for the first time in 23 games but the victory in Puebla only lifts “La Máquina Azul” from 17th to 16th place (4 points).

In Cd. Juárez, the host Bravos were held without a shot on goal in a rugged match against a feisty Esmeraldas squad that played with 10 men after defender Paul Bellón was ejected in minute 52. There were 30 fouls (15 per side) as well as eight yellow cards in the border brawl, while FC Juárez defender Alejandro Arribas was also shown a red card (in minute 90+1).

Matchday 8 concludes with a Sunday triple header: Last-place Mazatlán FC visits 17th-place Querétaro; Tijuana travels to América; and, holders Pachuca host Toluca in a Liga MX Finals rematch.