Valverde backs Suarez to come good

Posted Saturday, October 21, 2017 by foxsportsasia.com

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has backed Luis Suarez to rediscover his best form and says he is not struggling with a knee injury he sustained at the start of the season.

Having missed his side’s first two La Liga games, Suarez scored in the 5-0 defeat of Espanyol at the beginning of September, but has just a further two goals in seven appearances in all competitions since then.

And most recently, he didn’t look comfortable in Wednesday’s 3-1 Champions League win over Olympiacos.

The Uruguayan international, was also left out of his country’s most recently named squad, to face Poland and Austria in November, in order to undergo treatment on his reportedly injured knee – at the behest of Barca.

A Uruguayan Football Association statement read: “The AUF informs that the medical department of Barcelona proposes, in order to continue with the good evolution and rehabilitation of the right knee of Luis Suarez, the undertaking of medical and physiological treatment for a week from November 11.

“For this reason, the player will not participate in the friendly games planned for November 10 and 14 against Poland and Austria.”

But Valverde said: “It’s true the other day he had a small problem but I don’t think it was anything major.

“In Luis’ case he’s a player who’s always had a good relationship with goalscoring. He played well against Atletico [Madrid] and scored the equaliser, he had chances against Olympiacos.

“We know in a game he will have two or three chances and his team-mates will create and he’s there being a nuisance to defenders. We don’t think it’s too much of a problem.

“I think it’s going well and the [injury] problem he had before is fine now. Because he missed a chance here and there people ask me about Suarez, but it would worry me more if he didn’t have chances.”

The La Liga leaders face bottom-side Malaga at the Camp Nou in their next encounter on Saturday.