Cruz Azul loses Mier, Marquez and Lira ahead of showdown with league leader Toluca

Three starters out, one headache for Joel Huiqui. Cruz Azul heads into its Matchday 10 matchup against Toluca in the Apertura 2026 without Kevin Mier, Jeremy Marquez and Erik Lira, all three called up by their national teams during this FIFA break, which brings an awkward wrinkle for Mexican clubs: it runs two weeks, but Liga MX only pauses for one.

The schedule shows no mercy. Mier is away with Colombia, while Marquez and Lira are with the Mexican national team, right when the Machine needs a win to keep pace with the leader. And this is no ordinary opponent: Toluca sits atop the Apertura 2026 with 19 points, while Cruz Azul is fourth with 15.

Goalkeeper spot is the biggest question mark

Mier's absence comes at a particularly delicate time. The starting goalkeeper had been shaky in his last couple of outings, with costly errors against America and Monterrey in Liga MX, so his departure for the FIFA break reopens the door for backup Andres Gudino, who hasn't played since Matchday 3, when Cruz Azul fell 2-3 to Atlante at Estadio Banorte.

At right back, the fix looks more straightforward. Marquez, a midfielder by trade who shifted into that role out of necessity since Huiqui arrived, has a ready replacement in Alan Mozo, a summer signing the coach himself requested specifically for that spot. Even so, Huiqui could still turn to academy product Rogelio Gonzalez if he wants a different look.

The trickiest case is Erik Lira. The captain, who came close to leaving for Monaco and already missed two matches because of those negotiations, is a player Huiqui uses both as a defensive midfielder and as a third central defender. His natural replacement, Amaury Garcia, is a doubt for this game, forcing the coaching staff to weigh other options: either Agustin Palavecino drops into the defensive midfield role, as he did against Atlas, or the coach goes with a back three of Jesus Orozco Chiquete, Gonzalo Piovi and Willer Ditta.

With three starters missing and the league leader on the schedule, Huiqui will have to piece together a lineup before the FIFA break ends. The question isn't just who steps in, it's whether the fill-ins are enough to keep a Machine that can't afford to fall further behind the top of the table at the level it needs.