MEXICO CITY -- Without key players like Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Jesus "Tecatito" Corona in the squad to play El Salvador and Honduras, others will have to step up and make the most of their call-ups.
Here are five players who need to make the most of their national team duty:
Raul Jimenez, FW, Benfica
Almost three years on from scoring the goal of his life -- the gamewinner in a 2-1 World Cup qualifying victory over Panama -- Jimenez arrives to El Tri's camp as the main striker in the injury absences of Hernandez and Oribe Peralta.
The call-up comes at a high point in Jimenez's career. In July, he became the most expensive Mexican player in history when Benfica secured the purchase of the second 50 percent of his rights from Atletico Madrid for €22 million. It's at the Portuguese club where he's been able to find the stability he's long been looking for; In his last two league games, he has scored twice and picked up an assist.
During the Copa America Centenario, Jimenez had a lot of participation on the right-flank and hardly any as the team's central forward. This international break will likely see him carry his fine club form into Mexico's principal striker position, where he will hope to prove that he should always play up top rather than as a forward tied to the right flank.
Angel Zaldivar, FW, Chivas
Zaldivar's first senior team call-up has come rather quickly, but it is worth noting that Jimenez made his debut at 21, as did Hernandez. At 22, he is one of Liga MX's most productive Mexican strikers and that's the main reason he's in this squad.
What makes Zaldivar stand out is the associative quality to his game, which allows him to be equally as influential inside the box as he is in other areas of the pitch. Will Mexico's most in-form under-23 attacker be able to impress coach Juan Carlos Osorio?
Orbelin Pineda, MF, Chivas
Pineda became a last-minute addition to the squad following Paul Aguilar's injury. Even though he has yet to score a goal in the Apertura, his work rate has been impressive. He's a midfielder with the same abilities as FC Porto's Hector Herrera.
"He's a great player. I think that the base in football is changing, and he rapidly adapted to our playing style," Chivas teammate Michael Perez told ESPN FC. "On the field, he does stuff many of us can't do, and that's very important for the the team."
Although Pineda was called up for the qualifying matches against Canada last March, he didn't see any minutes. For these games against El Salvador and Honduras, there's a good chance that he could get his coveted debut.
Candido Ramirez, MF, Atlas
Ramirez has been a common call-up since Osorio's appointment as Mexico manager last October, in large part due to the fact that he's one of few left-footed Mexican wingers. During the 2016 Clausura, his playing time at Monterrey was almost nonexistent, and yet Osorio kept calling him up.
However, times have changed for Ramirez, who arrives to this camp with 357 minutes, four starts, two goals and two assists under his belt so far at Atlas. He's playing at a level that makes him stand out among the wingers at the manager's disposal, so it shouldn't surprise to see him get significant playing time.
Hirving Lozano, MF, Pachuca
Lozano's performance at the Rio 2016 Olympics was so disastrous that it ended in the most calamitous way possible: a red card after inexplicably pushing an opponent to the ground. He'll have his first shot at redemption this week.
With Corona out after picking up an injury on the weekend, Lozano can show with goals and assists why he's one of Mexico's best young prospects. It's well known that Osorio thinks highly of him, which is why he participated in all of Mexico's matches during the Copa America. Can he take advantage of this chance to restart?