Hernandez started only six league games for a struggling Man United side this last season, managing just four goals in 24 appearances, 18 as a substitute, in the Premier League.
Instead, coach Miguel Herrera, who Thursday named his entire starting line-up for the game in Natal, has plumped for in-form duo Oribe Peralta and Giovani dos Santos.
“There is very good chemistry between them,” said Herrera, known as ‘Piojo’ (ugly bloke), as a way of explanation for Hernandez’s omission.
The other main selection was that of Ajaccio goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa over Jose Corona and Alfredo Talavera.
Mexico come into the tournament on the back of a poor qualification campaign in which they finished fourth in the CONCACAF final group and needed a play-off against New Zealand to secure their passage.
However, 10 of their squad played in the gold medal winning side at the Olympics in 2012 that defeated Brazil in the final.
They will also face Brazil and Croatia in Group A at the World Cup.
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