Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio is concerned at key El Tri players not getting regular playing time for their clubs ahead of Russia 2018.
Minutes have dried up for Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez under David Moyes at West Ham recently, while Hector Moreno hasn't been playing at Roma, Miguel Layun is in and out at Porto and Raul Jimenez has failed to earn a starting spot with Benfica.
Osorio admits that the situation surrounding important players has him worried about El Tri's chances at the World Cup.
"Our grave problem is that our players aren't playing with the frequency that we'd like them to play," said Osorio on ESPN's Futbol Picante. "It's happening at all levels and we can't pretend to have a [top] national team when our players aren't competing."
Osorio added that his comments weren't designed to directly criticise the players, but instead to stress that El Tri needs more players competing at a high level to be a top national team.
"What I want to stress is that human beings improve through competition and pressure, from competing under that pressure," said Osorio.
The Mexico coach has raised similar concerns previously.
"The only thing our players are missing is high-level competition," said Osorio. "And unless we have five or 10 competing each weekend against the best and training in the week with the best, we won't have a better national team."
Osorio and his coaching staff have designed a complimentary plan for all the players in the national team pool so that they arrive at the World Cup in top condition, but indicated no player will run more or lift more weights than they are asked to in their clubs.
"They are prevention exercises that come from a company in the United States that has helped the German national team and has done for 10 years," said the former Atletico Nacional coach.
Osorio admitted he had been offered a new contract with the Mexican federation, but didn't say whether he would be signing or not. The 56-year-old also suggested that Mexican football is "overrated" in a "true or false" section of the same interview.
Mexico opens 2018 with a friendly on Jan. 31 in San Antonio, Texas against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Osorio set to name a squad made up of players from Liga MX and MLS.