Will we be able to see a fully fit Luis Suarez at the World Cup?

Luis Suárez’s family and closest friends are convinced that the Uruguay striker is on course to win his battle to be fit to face England in the World Cup.

Suárez returned to Uruguay’s training ground ahead of their 1-0 friendly win against Northern Ireland on Friday night, where he was seen smiling and walking normally, eight days since undergoing surgery on a knee injury sustained in training.

Both his brother Diego, with whom the player is staying, and his uncle Sergio told Telegraph Sport that the Premier League’s leading scorer and Player of the Year is confident of being fit for the England game in Sao Paulo on June 19.

Suárez was confirmed in Uruguay’s 23-man squad on Saturday and remains hopeful of being available for the first game in the tournament, against Costa Rica on June 14.

“I think he’ll be fit. He’s fine, he’s recovering well and trying to get better as quick as possible,” said younger brother Diego Suárez, a 21-year-old striker at the Uruguayan club Miramar Misiones.

“He’s determined to get fit and has all the desire and all the support he needs. I think he feels confident that he will make it.”
Meanwhile, back in Suárez’s home town of Salto, 300 miles north of Montevideo, Suárez’s uncle Sergio, who has been in regular contact with the player, received a positive message about his nephew’s chances of being ready for the England match.

“When I called him after the surgery, feeling upset for him, he just said: ‘Don’t worry uncle, I’ll be able to play.’ And if Luis says he is going to do something, it will happen. He has incredible determination and belief.”

Suárez’s reappearance at the training ground provided a boost for his team-mates before they went on to beat Northern Ireland at the Estadio Centenario.

Team-mate Diego Forlán said: “It was good to see him. He was well and happy because he’s recovering well.”

Suárez has been having some treatment from Walter Ferreira, a kinesiologist who has been dubbed Manosanta – Holy Hands – after having great success treating injured Uruguayan stars in the past like Ruben Sosa and Daniel Fonseca.

If Suárez cannot recover in time, defender and captain Diego Lugano, who plays his club football with West Bromwich Albion, is confident that the team can still thrive.

“A World Cup in Brazil is different for Uruguay. That’s why we have bigger expectations,” he said, referring to Uruguay’s surprise triumph in the 1950 final at the Maracana, where they beat Brazil.

“It’s a special World Cup; we need to play to the maximum of our potential, both physical and technical, because the mystique is going to push Uruguay more than any other team in this World Cup.”