• World Cup

Liverpool get Suarez assurances

Luis Suarez had an operation on the injury last Thursday © AP

Enlarge

Liverpool have been assured that Uruguay will not take unnecessary risks with star striker Luis Suarez's health as he tries to make a rapid recovery from knee surgery.

Suarez, 27, had a minor operation on Thursday to repair cartilage damage in his left knee, which immediately put his participation in Brazil in doubt.

Uruguay would not rule out the country's all-time leading scorer of the tournament immediately after the procedure and team doctor Alberto Pan said there was nothing since to suggest they should change their opinion.

But coach Oscar Washington Tabarez says the national team will put Suarez's health before their World Cup ambitions.

He said: "The periods will not be fast-tracked. We won't take any unnecessary risks. We want to be very cautious.

"What happens with Luis will depend on the evolution of his knee. "We have no doubt about his enthusiasm and condition but our main concern is the health of the player."

Tabarez is monitoring Suarez's rehabilitation daily and said that the medical "facts" will dictate whether he is available for selection in Brazil, where Uruguay play Costa Rica on June 15 before facing England in Sao Paolo four days later.

Team doctor Alberto Pan was cautiously optimistic. He said: "The core of the concept of his return was expressed in the initial statement made in the immediate post-operative period and we can happily say that Luis' participation in the World Cup is not ruled out..

"It is very risky to give exact dates. We can not have absolute certainty or clear numbers but the postoperative period has been very good.

"Luis is not ruled out of the World [Cup], but you can not talk about specific times. Luis is very positive, I never heard a negative expression, and he says it is better every day. Today [Suarez] is painless [and] is working on fitness and supporting essentials."

In its original statement last week the Uruguay Football Association hinted Suarez's injury could have had its origin in a clash with Newcastle defender Paul Dummett in the final Premier League match of the season. That resulted in the defender receiving abuse from South America on social media but Dr Pan said there was no definitive opinion on what had caused the problem.

"You cannot be sure that the injury is due to trauma to the last game of the Premier, there are no certainties," he added.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd