Mexico's preparations for the Confederations Cup have become mired in controversy over the withdrawal of striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco and the possible release of five players due to club commitments. The Mexicans, who arrive in Germany on the back of an 18-match unbeaten record, will be without star striker Blanco who pulled out of the squad one day after leading his club America to the domestic title at the end of May, saying he was tired. Another five players are the subject of a request by their club Guadalajara to be released from the Confed Cup to play in the Libertadores Cup, the South American equivalent of the Champions League, which clashes with the tournament in Germany. Mexico's coach Ricardo La Volpe has been criticized for his handling of the situation with his detractors saying that he accepted Blanco's decision to withdraw from the squad but wants the Guadalajara contingent to stay. La Volpe has hit back: "The mistake that all the journalists and the president of Chivas (Jorge Vergara) have made is that I didn't give any special permission to Cuauhtemoc Blanco," he said. "He was on the list, he said he was tired and I replaced him with someone else, I didn't give any special permission for anyone." When asked about a request for the Libertadores players to be excluded, La Volpe added: "If the Chivas players prefer to play in the Libertadores, they can tell me and I'll take them off the list."