Suarez in World Cup fitness fight

Luis Suarez is convinced he can be fit in time for the World Cup despite undergoing knee surgery this week.

The 27-year-old Liverpool star injured the meniscus in his left knee training with the national side and, after an MRI scan, it was decided to send the player for a minor operation. Suarez’s arthroscopic surgery lasted about 30 minutes and he is likely to be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks but Uruguay officials remain confident he will be fit for the showpiece in Brazil.

Suarez said: “Thank you all for the support. I’ll work quietly and very hard in the coming days to be 100%.”

The South American’s first match is against Costa Rica on June 15 before they face England in Sao Paolo on June 19.

Uruguay FA president Wilmar Valdez suggested Suarez may return to training in just over a fortnight: “The recovery period, if all goes well, is around 15 days.”

Newcastle defender Paul Dummett came in for death threats last night from Uruguay fans on Twitter, having fouled the Reds forward on the Premier League season’s final day. Dummett was red carded after catching Suarez in what looked an accidental clash but it was later rescinded.