Richarlison cries his eyes out as Spurs star left on crutches ahead of World Cup

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison couldn't contain his emotions as he contemplated that he may not be fit for the World Cup after limping off against Everton

Posted Sunday, October 16, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

Richarlison appeared tearful in his interview after the game

Richarlison looked tearful as he admitted his World Cup dream hangs in the balance after leaving Tottenham's stadium on crutches.

Richarlison, 25, has made 38 appearances for Brazil and looked a certainty to be name in Tite's squad for the tournament in Qatar next month. But his participation is now up in the air after he suffered a calf injury in Spurs' 2-0 win against his former club Everton.

The former Watford man hobbled off on 52 minutes against the Toffees with the score at 0-0. Spurs boss Antonio Conte confirmed after the match that his player would miss the midweek trip to Old Trafford, while Richarlison himself appeared to cast doubt on his World Cup prospects.

It was reported that the forward was inconsolable as his team-mates celebrated their victory in the dressing room. And he appeared tearful as he emerged to speak the assembled media with the aid of crutches.

With visibly red eyes, Richarlison told ESPN Brasil: "It's kind of hard to say because it's so close to realising my dream [playing at the World Cup]. I've already suffered an injury similar to this, I hope it can heal as soon as possible. or less.

"I was stopped about two months at Everton. know it's hard to talk right now, but let's see, I'll recover. Monday. I have tests to do, but even walking hurts. Let's wait.

"It's all so close, it's about a month to go, and we've been getting ready, working every day so that nothing serious can happen. Unfortunately, today I had this calf injury, but now it's just a matter of waiting, doing the treatment every day so that I can recover as soon as possible."

Conte confirmed that Richarlison would miss the trip to Manchester United, saying that he needed time to recover. "Yeah for sure he's out against Manchester United, for sure. He felt something in his calf and he won't be available for that game," Conte said.

For those that are against national teams and international play, listen and watch Richarlison and how heartbroken he is for not being able to see out his dream. pic.twitter.com/17rfWA138N
— Juan Arango (@JuanG_Arango) October 15, 2022

"I don't know but I think he needs a bit of time to recover. It's a pity because we are talking about a player that gives us a lot of quality but at the same time also is strong and he improves our intensity."

Richarlison's injury put a downer on an excellent evening for Spurs, who moved seven points clear of Chelsea in the Premier League thanks to goals from Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.