Uruguay have admitted that Luis Suarez will not be in the same form that saw him terrorize defenses in the Premier League last season, claims the Daily Express. (via Paper Chase of Fox Sports)
The health of the scoring sensation is one of the hottest topics of this World Cup. His injury and convalescence has been very much analyzed and scrutinized. Liverpool FC and Uruguay National Team supporters alike want to know are they rushing him back too fast? Should he be playing tonight versus England?
Our specialists at AposTherapy decided to provide some professional insights on the Luis Suarez injury, treatment and recovery process.
“Luis Suarez suffered from meniscus tear, a knee joint injury, common among football players, when the knee is twisted whilst in a partially flexed position and the foot is firmly planted on the ground.
The medial and lateral menisci of the knee are two crescent-moon-shaped disks of tissue (fibrocartilage) that lie between the ends of the upper leg bone (femur) and the lower leg bone (tibia) that form the knee joint. The menisci act as shock absorbers, evenly distributing the load across the knee and helping to keep the joint stable.
Symptoms of a meniscus tear depend on the size and location of the tear and whether other injuries to the knee occurred with it. A significant problem with meniscus tears manifests itself through ‘locking’ of the knee. Luis reportedly suffered a lateral meniscus tear, a condition that may be pointed by a significant pain at the outer side of the affected knee.”
And here’s what ESPN World Cup lead play-by-play commentators Ian Darke and Steve McManaman told me by phone about the importance of the health and fitness of Luis Suarez
STEVE McMANAMAN: “Of course Luis Suarez, whether he will be fit for the opening game is another question. But I think going forward, everybody seems to focused on and everybody seems to be obsessed certainly in England with the force of Suarez and Edinson Cavani because they’ve got really good seasons. Likewise with their performance in Euro 2012 when Italy knocked England out of the tournament, and England was very poor.”
IAN DARKE: “It is a big problem if Suarez isn’t fit. I think he might end up missing the first game but will take a part at some point in the tournament. The danger is they’re trying to rush him back and he is key. So if they do that, it could be that he breaks down and ends up missing the whole tournament. So they have to be careful with that.”
That’s all the Luis Suarez talk for now, but I’m sure I’ll be back with more discussion and analysis of the Liverpool ace.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a frequent guest on talk radio stations across the world. Banks has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including NFL.com, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, ESPN, the Washington Times, NBC and The History Channel. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)