Suarez is facing a race against time to be
fit for the showpiece tournament in Brazil starting next month, and the player
whose challenge required the Liverpool star to have knee surgery has been
bombarded with death threats.
Paul Dummett, who plays for Newcastle United,
was sent off for his challenge on Uruguay's all-time leading scorer on the
final day of the English Premier League season earlier this month.
Uruguay has been drawn in the same group as
England, and some fans took to Twitter to unleash their fury at the
22-year-old, with many posting violent messages on the social media network.
One message read: "Hi Paul Dummett. I hope
some day you come here (Uruguay) to have a nice time with friends. We have
things for you, like a bullet in the head."
Another tweeted: "Hey, Paul Dummett. If
Suárez doesn't play against England, you'll never play again."
The English Football Association rescinded
Dummett's suspension following the May 11 incident, and Suarez was able to join
up with his national side for a training camp in Montevideo -- but limped out
in a warmup on Wednesday and had a minor operation Thursday.
The 27-year-old, who has scored 38 goals in
77 international appearances, is likely to be out of action for a fortnight
after damaging his meniscus.
Oscar Tabarez's side begins its World Cup
campaign on June 15 against Costa Rica before facing England four days later in
Sao Paulo, with a final group-stage match against Italy on June 24.
Suarez left the hospital in a wheelchair
following the procedure, but Uruguay's football association insists "his
participation in the World Cup in Brazil has not been ruled out."
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