Montevideo - Uruguay's star striker Luis Suárez is recuperating after undergoing surgery to repair knee meniscus damage in training and is “doing well” as he fights to get fit for the World Cup, team doctor Alberto Pan said Monday.
The 27-year-old - who is set to clash with Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard as Uruguay has been drawn with England, Italy and Costa Rica, had the surgery late last week after injuring his knee in training on Wednesday.
“It augurs well that things have gone very well following the operation and that he has plenty of optimism right now and a great desire to keep getting better,” Pan told a press conference.
“Today, there is no pain,” added Pan after the Liverpool hitman, a mainstay of the side which reached the semi-finals at the 2010 finals, went under the knife for the injury to his left knee just 23 days before two-times champions Uruguay meet Costa Rica in their group opener ahead of games with England and Italy.
Pan warned even so that “it is still premature to put an exact date on when he will return to normal activity and fitness.
“The first week entails observation, rest and weight training,” said Pan, adding that the medical team would assess things from there.
He added that Suarez, who enjoyed a superlative season in becoming the first Liverpool player to score 30 league goals in a season since Ian Rush 27 years ago, would bounce back as “Luis is an athlete with an exceptional constitution.”
He saluted the striker's “very positive character” and noted that “he has all the basic conditions (required) to make the best of recoveries”.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez stressed he would wait on Suarez's fitness before determining what role he would play at the finals.
“Things with Luis will depend on how things go with his knee. Our main concern is the player's health,” Tabarez told reporters while adding that he hoped “his fitness will permit him to participate.”
Sapa-AFP