Czech Republic vs Mexico Predicted Lineups & Team News

Co-hosts Mexico have already sealed their place in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup. Their final Group A clash takes place on Wednesday (7pm local time/Thursday 2am BST, BBC One) against the Czech Republic, who are in need of a win to have any chance of joining El Tri in the next round.

Below I run through the latest Czech Republic vs Mexico team news and predicted line-ups.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic's David Jurasek suffered a thigh injury in training earlier this month, which has ruled him out of the World Cup.

We're expected to see a similar XI deployed by Miroslav Koubek despite The Representatives failing to generate any real excitement in their two performances to date.

Ladislav Krejci will once again captain the side and hope to have an influence in both boxes. Bayer Leverkusen front man Patrik Schick is yet to make his mark in North America, and this might be his last chance to do so.

Tomas Soucek is someone who can earn a recall because he can be a useful player to have on the field in search of a goal.

Mexico

The one thing the Czech Republic will be hoping for is a rotated Mexico side, and El Tri could oblige. With qualification secured, some key players such as Raul Jimenez, Edson Alvarez and Julian Quinones may be rested ahead of the round of 32.

This could lead to Santiago Gimenez leading the line on Thursday. The AC Milan striker should be hungry to impress in a bid to earn more minutes at the tournament.

Cesar Montes is available for selection again after serving his one-game suspension against South Korea last time out.

Remember you can bet on this match and check out all of the live Czech Republic vs Mexico Odds over on betfred.com

Czech Republic vs Mexico Key Players:

Ladislav Krejci (Czech Republic)

Given what we know he's capable of, I did consider Schick as the Czech Republic's key player for this clash, but I think Krejci has been one of their most impressive stars in Group A.

The defender has been putting himself about in both attacking and defensive situations, and even though he's not the tallest defender, he has a talent for making first contact from set-piece situations.

Such scenarios might be key for The Representatives in Mexico City, and Krejci is someone who's a proven nuisance when balls are being launched into the box.

Santiago Gimenez (Mexico)

I think the key figures who remain in Mexico's starting line-up on Thursday will be inclined to take it easy against the Czech Republic given their current position.

If Gimenez is given the nod to start up front, I reckon that we'll see a hunger from him out on the pitch. He's had to settle for being Jimenez's understudy so far, but a bright display against the Czech Republic may just give boss Javier Aguiree food for thought.

For all of our coverage and betting markets for the festival of football this summer, please check out our World Cup Odds over on betfred.com