Miguel Almiron suffered a muscle issue during Paraguay’s draw against Peru – but national team boss Guillermo Barros Schelotto has insisted the Newcastle United forward is fine.
In the last seconds of Thursday night’s 0-0 draw at the Estadio Antonio Aranda, Almiron was taken off. He was forced to leave the World Cup qualifying match after collapsing late in the game and required medical attention on the field.
As a result, Paraguay finished the game with 10 men, but it was clear why Almiron was unable to play on. For Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe, the wincing 29-year-old’s agonized expression as he walked away at one point he even covered his face with his hand will be concerning.
The Paraguayan Football Association have since issued the following statement to the press: “The medical team of the national team informs that the player, Miguel Almiron, presented a sustained muscular contracture during the game with Peru. The player is on recovery tasks. According to the evolution of his recovery, he will be subjected to further auxiliary studies.”
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Although Schelotto had earlier made an effort to ease any injury concerns, Almiron has not yet been declared ineligible for Tuesday’s match against Venezuela. In fact, the Paraguay manager expressed the hope that Almiron might still play in his team’s upcoming qualifier on Tuesday night.
“He’s fine, very tired, cramped,” Schelotto told reporters the night before the Paraguay FA’s statement. “It’s his first game, he had a long trip, he didn’t have much recovery time and the commitment they have forces them to give everything. He doesn’t have an injury. I hope he can recover and play against Venezuela.”
Newcastle will be updated on developments as Howe gears up his team for a crucial matchup against Brentford next Saturday. Since the majority of his team left for international duty after last week’s loss against Brighton, Howe is currently working with a smaller group.
Players like Dan Burn, Tino Livramento, Sean Longstaff, Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy, and Harvey Barnes have recently been put to the test at Newcastle’s practice facility. If Almiron is not fully recovered, Barnes or Murphy would be likely candidates to enter the starting lineup.
