Liverpool Striker Luis Suarez Unlikely to Miss World Cup Following Knee Surgery

Uruguay are hopeful that Luis Suarez will be fit to feature in the World Cup this summer despite undergoing surgery on an injured knee.

The 27-old suffered a problem in training on Wednesday as his country begin their final preparations for this summer's finals in Brazil and immediately underwent an operation to repair meniscus damage.

After the striker was photographed in a wheelchair following the procedure, Uruguay released a statement saying: "Suarez might be ready to play in Brazil," before adding "no other damage to the knee was spotted."

Speculation as to Suarez's recovery time has been wide ranging with some reports suggesting he will be fit to compete in his country's curtain raiser against Costa Rica on 14 June while others suggest his chances of playing any role in the campaign are slim.

President of the Uruguayan FA Wilmar Valdez was optimistic of the 27-year-old's chances, telling Uruguayan newspaper La Ovacion: "We know the injury is not serious. We have to wait and see how he recovers. These are injuries that, considering Suarez's fitness and if the recovery is good, will not take long for him to return to play."

Suarez, who finished as the Premier League's top scorer with 31 goals and won the PFA Footballer of the Year and Football Writers' Association Player of the Year awards, also sounded positive following his operation.

"Thank you very much for the messages of support and encouragement throughout the day!" the Liverpool star wrote through his Twitter account.

"The strength that my loved ones give me will make me work hard to reach the World Cup. My family and I are very grateful to all of you!"

Following their opening game against Costa Rica, Suarez's Uruguay will meet England in Sao Paulo on 19 June, before their final group game against Italy on 24 June.