Mexico coach Miguel Herrera has left Atletico Madrid's Raul Jimenez out of Mexico's starting team to face Bolivia on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET) in El Tri's Copa America opener.
The 24-year-old striker started only four times in La Liga last season and failed to impress over Mexico's three friendly games ahead of the tournament, despite starting the last two against Peru and Brazil.
Mexico XI vs Bolivia: Corona; Marquez, Ayala, Cata, Flores, Aldrete; Guemez OR Osuna, Medina, Tecatito; Vuoso and Herrera.
— ESPN Tri (@ESPNFCtri) June 11, 2015
The decision, announced by Herrera at a press conference on Thursday in Vina del Mar, will come as a bitter blow to Jimenez, who had hoped to make an impact in order to improve his standing for both club and country.
Herrera named Jesus Corona in goal; Hugo Ayala, captain Rafa Marquez and Julio "Cata" Dominguez as the three center-backs in the 5-3-2 formation with Gerardo Flores as right wing-back and Adrian Aldrete on the other flank.
In midfield, Herrera admitted he hadn't decided whether to choose Javier Guemez or Mario Osuna, but said Juan Carlos Medina and Jesus "Tecatito" Corona would accompany one or the other.
Up front, 33-year-old Argentina-born Matias Vuoso appears to have replaced Jimenez, with Eduardo Herrera alongside him.
Herrera refused to lower expectations on the team, having previously indicated that Mexico can cause some major surprises at the tournament.
"We have to represent Mexico well, the objective is to win," he said. "There is no alternative national team, it's a Mexican national team."
Most of El Tri's Europe-based players and the majority of the team that played at the World Cup last year in Brazil will feature in July at CONCACAF's Gold Cup, with Mexico's Copa America team made up largely of Liga MX players.
Mexico is in Group A of the Copa America alongside Ecuador, Chile, as well as Bolivia.