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With the injuries to Germán Berterame and Rodrigo Aguirre, CF Monterrey can only count on Rogelio Funes Mori and Alí Ávila as their strikers.
Although the 32-year-old is Rayados’ all-time leading goal scorer, either age or the system has Funes Mori struggling. The Argentine only scored one goal during Leagues Cup, so momentum isn’t on his side.
Despite Funes Mori’s current form, Monterrey manager Fernando Ortiz is sticking by the player. Ahead of the game against Cruz Azul on Sunday at Estadio BBVA, the 45-year-old backed his striker.
“If Rogelio, perhaps, in your opinion, is not the one, I trust Rogelio or Ali,” Ortiz told reporters Thursday (h/t Telediario). “They know what I want, and I want about that position. After I modify it for the best of the team, yes, there is modification. Perhaps the schema is modified, but the names have to be the same in the function that I want. We will see how it evolves.
“Do I have a shortage of forwards? Yes, but I trust what I have and have given the vote of confidence of what I have.”
The summer transfer window remains open until Sept. 13, so Monterrey’s front office could still pursue a striker. Berterame could miss most of the tournament, if not all of it. Meanwhile, Aguirre should be back at some point in the season.
A special guest to attend the Monterrey-Cruz Azul match?
Journalist Felipe Galindo reports that Mexican national team manager Jaime Lozano will be at the Estadio BBVA to watch the contest between Rayados and Cruz Azul.
As part of his 2026 FIFA World Cup planning, Lozano will arrive on Sunday morning to see certain players in action. From a Monterrey perspective, Víctor Guzmán, Jesús Gallardo, and Luis Romo were part of the squad that won the 2023 Gold Cup this summer.
The Mexican coach will deliver a list of players for the FIFA date in September, where they will face Australia and Uzbekistan in the United States on the 9th and 12th, respectively.