Luis Suarez injury: Recovering Suarez confirms he will be fit for World Cup, but Steven Gerrard admits mixed feelings ahead of Group D clash
Suarez tweeted that he will be in Brazil as questions remain whether he will be fit in time to face England on June 19
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Your support makes all the difference.Luis Suarez last night said he will be fit for the World Cup despite his recent knee operation.
The Uruguay striker tweeted: ‘‘My dream remains intact, I will be there,’’ as he continued his recovery ahead of the tournament which begins on June 12.
The Uruguay striker tweeted: ‘‘My dream remains intact, I will be there,’’ as he continued his recovery ahead of the tournament which begins on June 12.
His recovery plans will not surprise his Liverpool team-mate and England captain Steven Gerrard, who said it would ‘‘absolutely kill’’ Suarez to miss the tournament and the group clash against England on 19 June.
“I think from a really, really selfish point of view it would help England against Uruguay if he wasn’t available, of course it would,” said Gerrard after he heard Suarez needed keyhole surgery on a knee injury sustained in Liverpool's last game of the season against Newcastle United. “But knowing Luis as a mate and a friend and a teammate with Liverpool, I know that (missing the World Cup) would absolutely kill him. I wouldn’t wish an injury on any of my fellow professionals.
The reports coming out of Uruguay are mixed, but the official line from the national federation, that Suarez 'has not been ruled out of the World Cup', does not augur well. England play Uruguay in Sao Paolo on June 19, the second match for both clubs.
“We’ll have to wait and see,” said Gerrard. “I know he’s a fighter and he’ll do everything he can to be fit. If he’s not available it’s a shame for him personally. If he’s not available it can only be a help for England. I can't play Luis down because I've played him up for so many years. On current form he's arguably the best player on the planet. Some of the performances he's put in for us have been frightening. He's pulled us out of trouble so many times and showed such a level of consistency. He's a top player. But, you know, one player doesn't make a team.”
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