MEXICO CITY, Nov 12 — Mexico’s Andres Guardado will miss their World Cup qualifier in Panama on Tuesday after injuring his thigh in yesterday’s 2-1 away win over the United States.

The PSV Eindhoven midfielder was part of the Mexico team that made a winning start in the final phase of the CONCACAF qualifiers in Columbus, Ohio.

"It’s my right thigh... it’s an injury that has affected me throughout my career,” Guardado, who had recovered from a previous setback in February, told reporters.

"With my experience (of this problem), I think it will be out for three to four weeks,” he said. "I will spend the first few days of my recovery with Mexico and then continue in Holland.”

Mexico ended a run of four away losses to the United States in World Cup qualifiers.

"The team made history today. They have the courage to play anywhere... and to compete against a team as athletic as the United States,” said their Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who came close to losing his job in June after a 7-0 defeat by South American champions Chile in the Copa America quarter-finals.

"I think that for Mexican football and the national team this is something extraordinary because it produces confidence and credibility in the (coaching) process.”

Panama, who beat Honduras 1-0, and Costa Rica, who overcame Trinidad and Tobago 2-0, also made winning starts away from home in the so-called Hexagonal, the six-nation fifth and final round of qualifiers.

The top three qualify for the 2018 finals in Russia and the fourth-placed side go into an intercontinental playoff. — Reuters