With the Copa America Centenario and Olympics around the corner, many of Mexico's best players will be pushing for attention before the start of the summer. Senior team manager Juan Carlos Osorio and Olympic team manager Raul Gutierrez will soon need to make a decision on which players to utilize during the next few months.
Keeping this in mind, let's check out the recent noteworthy performances in this week's Mexico hot-list:
Warming Up
Hector Herrera, MF, Porto (Portugal)
Why he's here: Over the weekend, Herrera was a key figure for Porto during the 4-0 win over Nacional. Thanks to an assist from fellow Mexican Jesus Corona, the midfielder scored the second goal for his side and was near-perfect during the victory. Since December, the 25-year-old has taken over as captain for Porto and now has five goals scored in 2016.
What this means: Herrera is entering the summer with plenty of goals under his belt and an accomplished role as a leader for his club. After an underwhelming run in the Gold Cup last year, Herrera should be able to play with much more confidence for El Tri during the Copa America Centenario. A good performance in the tournament might also lead to a move during the summer as well.
Giovani dos Santos, FW, LA Galaxy (United States)
Why he's here: After a couple of months of injuries and worrisome performances, Dos Santos emerged from last Friday's 4-1 win against the Houston Dynamo with two goals. The striker was excellent with his opportunities on net and showed signs of the occasional brilliance which has made him one of Mexico's most exciting players to watch.
What this means: The big question is this: Will Dos Santos continue this form? Throughout his career, the highly-talented star has struggled to maintain consistency on the pitch. Now, with a busy 2016 scheduled for El Tri, the 26-year-old still has plenty to prove before he potentially returns to the national team. Dos Santos has the abilities to once again become a key player for Mexico, but he must prove many of his doubters wrong.
Elias Hernandez, MF, Leon (Mexico)
Why he's here: Hernandez once again stepped up for Leon and scored Los Panzas Verdes' second goal during Saturday's 4-1 victory against Puebla. The midfielder now has four goals and five assists in the Clausura and is a key reason why Leon has been able to hold onto fourth place in the league table.
What this means: A call-up to the national team might be near. Although it's a stretch to assume that the 27-year-old is at the level to become a starter, the argument could be made that Hernandez would be a decent option off the bench. He has had a handful of appearances during the past few years with El Tri, but could become an unexpected member of the roster if he keeps up his goals and assists.
Cooling Down
Marco Fabian, MF, Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
Why he's here: For the second time in the past four league matches, Fabian was an unused substitute for Frankfurt. After plenty of Bundesliga hype about the battle between Mexicans Javier Hernandez and Fabian ahead of last Saturday's game, the midfield wasn't given an opportunity to play during the 3-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen. Since the arrival of new manager Niko Kovac early last month, Fabian has only played 68 minutes for his club.
What this means: No minutes will likely mean no return to the national team either. Mexico currently has an immense amount of talent in midfield and would surely be fine without the help of the 26-year-old. With relegation also now a strong possibility for Frankfurt, it's difficult to assume that he would stay much longer with the team if they go down.
Erick Torres, FW, Houston Dynamo (United States)
Why he's here: While Dos Santos was racking up goals against the Dynamo, Torres was on the bench for Houston and didn't make an appearance in the game until the 56th minute. The striker has yet to solidify a starting role with the Dynamo and failed to make a case for himself last week with just one shot, which was off target, in the second half.
What this means: With Torres struggling to find minutes, his role with the Olympic squad is now in jeopardy. An older option like Oribe Peralta appears ideal for the team, and might push the 23-year-old to the bench this summer during the competition in Brazil.
Moises Munoz, GK, America (Mexico)
Why he's here: Munoz has recently become America's back-up goalkeeper and doesn't seem to have a good chance of stealing his starting spot back. Although current starter Hugo Gonzalez was a part of the starting XI that lost 1-0 to Queretaro last Friday, the 25-year-old has only allowed five goals in his last six league games and has easily filled the big shoes left by Munoz.
What this means: Just a few months ago, Munoz was in the running for Mexico's starting spot in net. Now, it's difficult to see him even getting a call-up with other players like Guillermo Ochoa, Jesus Corona and Alfredo Talavera getting playing time. It also must be noted that Munoz has looked excellent for Las Aguilas in the CONCACAF Champions League, but looks set to miss the final first leg against Tigres with an ankle injury.