Raúl Jiménez has won the race over Santiago Giménez: Projecting Mexico's starting XI against Canada in Nations League semifinal

Javier Aguirre may have already decided on the starting eleven for Thursday's CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Canada. The coach revealed three guaranteed starters during a news conference: Luis Ángel Malagón, left-back Jesús Gallardo, and Cruz Azul midfielder Erik Lira.

Based on El Tri’s final training session on Wednesday, Mexico's expected lineup is as follows:

Goalkeeper: Luis Ángel Malagón
Defense: Israel Reyes, Johan Vásquez, Edson Álvarez, and Jesús Gallardo
Midfield: Erik Lira, Luis Chávez, and Orbelín Pineda
Attack: Alexis Vega, César Huerta, and Raúl Jiménez

Julián Quiñones and Santiago Giménez will have to wait for their chance in the second half to make an impact against the North American opponent.

Raúl Jiménez has won the race over Giménez for the Canada match. The AC Milan striker is on a six-game scoreless streak, which is why Aguirre will opt to start with the Fulham forward.

The Mexican National Team begins its journey toward its what would be its first CONCACAF Nations League title as it faces Canada at SoFi Stadium for a spot in Sunday's final.

Standing in their way is Jesse Marsch's squad, a team El Tri has failed to defeat in their last three encounters. This will be the most important match for manager Javier Aguirre since his return to the Mexican national team after replacing Jaime Lozano last summer, marking his third stint with the team.

"I'm very happy to be here," Vega said. "It has been a rebirth for me. Wearing this shirt fills me with pride, and I'm very happy because I've enjoyed it to the fullest. Now that I'm here, I try to contribute my little bit to achieve good results in the competitions."

The Mexican National Team enters the match with a three-game winless streak against Canada. Before this, El Tri had enjoyed five consecutive victories over their North American opponent.

Both Mexico and Canada will aim to end the United States' dominance in the Nations League, as the U.S. has won all three previous tournaments.