Oscar Tabarez confident Luis Suarez will be fit for Copa America

Oscar Tabarez, the Uruguay head coach, has "high hopes" about Luis Suarez's fitness ahead of next month's Copa America.

Published : May 25, 2019 13:47 IST

Uruguay head coach Oscar Tabarez is confident star forward Luis Suarez will be fit for the Copa America in Brazil.

Suarez, who scored 25 goals in all competitions this season, will miss Barcelona's Copa del Rey final against Valencia on Saturday after undergoing knee surgery.

The surgery put Suarez in doubt for next month's Copa America — with Uruguay set to open its campaign against Ecuador on June 16 — however, Tabarez has "high hopes."

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"I think yes, I hope so, he's working well," Tabarez told reporters when asked if Suarez will be fit for the tournament. "I can't give you details but he keeps us updated through videos and images.

'Mind set on recovery'

"He's working on his recovery and I know the meaning Luis gives to these things, I know he'll give 100 per cent to be fit when the competition starts. I don't want to rush, injuries are always due to circumstances, not to the players' will, he's got his mind set on the recovery.

"He's very professional about it and he has a good record on it, so I have high hopes to have him ready on our team, he's very important to us."

Uruguay — which reached the 2018 World Cup quarterfinals — failed to progress beyond the group stage of the Copa America three years ago. For the 2019 edition, Uruguay will face Ecuador, defending champion Chile and guest Japan in Group C.

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