Suarez in injury scare ahead of World Cup qualifiers

Luis Suarez could be in doubt for Uruguay's crucial 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Paraguay due to an injured right knee.

The 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 Bernabeu on Wednesday, a result that gave the La Liga champions a 5-1 aggregate win, reports Xinhua news agency.

Suarez was in clear discomfort after a collision with Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas late in the match and only remained on the pitch because Barcelona had already used their full quota of substitutions.

In a brief statement, Barcelona said the 30-year-old would undergo tests to determine the extent of the injury.

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

The Celeste are currently third in the South American zone 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

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