Striker Suarez to miss Uruguay's World Cup qualifiers

Striker Luis Suarez will miss Uruguay's World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Paraguay due to an injured right knee, the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) said on Thursday.

The FC Barcelona striker suffered the injury during the Catalan side's 0-2 loss to Real Madrid in the second leg of their Spanish Super Cup tie at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"He suffered trauma to his right knee, resulting in a partial rupture of the posterior capsule," the AUF said in a brief statement, adding that Suarez would be sidelined for "four or five weeks".

Uruguay will host Argentina in Montevideo on August 31 before a clash with Paraguay in Asuncion five days later.

Uruguay are currently third in the South American zone 2018 World Cup qualifying standings with four matches remaining.

The top four teams at the end of the qualifying campaign will automatically qualify for football's showpiece tournament in Russia next year while the fifth-ranked side will earn a playoff spot.

--IANS

pur/vm