Montevideo: Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez is optimistic key defender Diego Godin will be fit for Thursday’s 2018 World Cup qualifier at home to struggling Venezuela after missing a club game at the weekend due to an ankle injury.
Godin missed his Spanish club Atletico Madrid’s fixture on Sunday because of a ligament issue in his left ankle, but the 30-year-old centre-back came through training unscathed in Montevideo on Monday.
“It wasn’t a high, demanding level in today’s session but he was on par with all his teammates without feeling anything off,” Tabarez told reporters.
“That was good news considering his importance as a player, and as a team leader.”
Uruguay lead the 10-team South American qualifiers with 16 points from eight matches, one ahead of continental heavyweights Brazil and Argentina, with Venezuela bottom and the only side without a victory.
Meanwhile, former Argentine footballer Pablo Aimar has said that the national team will miss Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi in the next two qualifiers but has a team that is capable of winning matches in his absence.
“On these two dates Argentina cannot count on its best, who is Messi, but has players who can win matches, although Messi is always needed,” said the former player of River Plate, Real Zaragoza and Benfica on Tuesday.
Aimar said that Colombia, like Argentina, have a chance of qualifying owing to their strong team, reports Efe.
“I think it will go well. They have great players — who are in the best teams in the world. It has what it takes to qualify for the World Cup,” said Aimar, who played a friendly match in Bogota in which world football’s ruling body Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino was also present.
The game on Tuesday was between former international footballers and a Colombian select — and included Brazil’s Cafu, France’s David Trezeguet and Colombians Carlos Valderra, Juan Pablo Angel, Fasutino Asprilla, Freddy Rincon, Farid Mondragon and Oscar Cordoba.
