MRI should provide clarity
©IMAGO
In the Paraguay national team’s last World Cup test against Nicaragua, the Albirroja had to accept a big downer despite a clear victory: the most valuable player in coach Gustavo Alfaro’s selection, Strasbourg’s Julio Enciso, had to be carried off the pitch in tears after he got stuck in the grass without any outside influence. The results of an MRI scan are pending; initial reports indicate that the 22-year-old offensive force could be out for at least two to three weeks.
The latter would at least mean missing Paraguay’s first two World Cup games. The South Americans face hosts USA, Australia and Turkey in World Cup Group D. “We are waiting for developments at Julito and have to see what the investigations say,” stated Alfaro. They wanted to say a positive goodbye to their own fans in the last game in front of their home crowd before leaving for the tournament. Despite the 4-0 win against Nicaragua with goals from Kaku, Miguel Almirón, Matías Galarza and Alexandro Maidana, the mood is now clouded: “We hope that Julio is doing well and that we can count on him.”
In Strasbourg, the 32-time national player contributed 21 scorers in 42 competitive games after his €9.5 million move from Brighton last season – including scoring in the quarter-finals of the Conference League in a 4-0 win against Mainz 05 and adding two more goals. If Enciso’s injury proves to be too serious and he is out of the World Cup, Alfaro could nominate a player before the start of the tournament. They will face the United States at the start next Saturday.