23 PASES A RUSIA: GOAL PROJECTS MEXICO'S WORLD CUP ROSTER

Chicharito and Hector Moreno are locks, but there are plenty of players on the bubble — with a spot in Russia secure, Goal projects El Tri's squad

World Cup qualification is over, and while it ended on a sour note for Mexico, El Tri have the comfort of knowing their status for Russia is in no doubt. It's now time to think about who will fill the squad at the World Cup.

We have a bit of a framework to work with. First, we can glance at the team coach Juan Carlos Osorio decided to take to Russia for the Confederations Cup in the not-too-distant past. And we also have about two years of observation of what Osorio likes to do, which players he's apt to call in and who he doesn't typically favor. Osorio said before this month's victory over Trinidad & Tobago that he has a pool of 35 players he'll be evaluating during the next 10 months. Despite his tendencies to go off the radar, expect him to close ranks from here on out.

Every month until the tournament, Goal will take a look at the 23 players most likely to represent El Tri at the World Cup, updating the projection as players' form oscillates or as injuries take players out of contention. Here is October's projection: