Monterrey has made the trip to Tijuana ahead of Sunday’s clash with Club Tijuana, but they’ll be without several key players - most notably, team captain Sergio Ramos.
Ramos rested for Tijuana test
The veteran Spanish defender did not travel with the squad for Matchday 12 of the 2025 Apertura, as the club opted to rest him due to load management. Ramos has logged significant playing time in recent weeks, playing every minute of Rayados’ last three matches against Club América, Toluca, and Santos Laguna.
When will Ramos make his Rayados return?
With the upcoming international break on the horizon, the decision was made to give Ramos a breather. As a result, he won’t return to action until October 18, when Monterrey hosts Pumas at Estadio BBVA.
In recent days, there had been speculation about whether Ramos would be able to adapt to the synthetic turf at Estadio Caliente - a surface that remains a rarity in global soccer. The same issue arose earlier this season with James Rodríguez during Club León’s visit to Tijuana.
Monterrey missing Canales, Salcedo
Ramos isn’t the only notable absence. Midfielder Sergio Canales also remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from a minor procedure on his right hamstring. The former Real Betis star missed the recent match against Santos and did not travel with the team for the Tijuana fixture.
Meanwhile, Carlos Salcedo is still working his way back to full fitness. Although he recently saw minutes with the U-21 squad following a long injury layoff dating back to January, he’s not yet ready for first-team action and won’t be available for this weekend’s game.
Despite the absences, Rayados head into the match in solid form, sitting on 25 points in the standings. They’ll be looking to build on their recent win over Santos Laguna. However, consistency has been elusive in their last three outings, which include a draw, a loss, and that hard-fought victory.