Muscle Problem Threatens Midfielder’s World Cup Dreams.
Check in to Cote d’Ivoire vs Japan
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is still struggling with the muscle injury which plagued him at the end of the Premier League season, and could miss Ivory Coast’s first game of the World Cup on Saturday, reports ESPN.
The man who was the inspiration behind City’s Premier League title success, has not played in any of country’s warm-up games ahead of the World Cup. His last performance was for City against West Ham on the last day of the season. In his absence, the Elephants have lost to Bosnia-Herzegovina and only narrowly defeated El Salvador.
Ivory Coast manager, Sabri Lamouchi still does not know whether the 31-year-old will be fit to face Japan on Saturday night in Recife.
Lamouchi told Jeune Afrique: “He ended the season with difficulties. He is yet to fully train with the group but he’s currently responding to a healing protocol.
“We will do our best to make him fit to play against Japan in our opener. He might start or come in as a substitute. I can’t really tell for now.”
Being without Toure would be a major loss for the Ivorians who are part of a tight and unpredictable World Cup group which also includes Colombia and Greece. If they fail to get a positive result against Japan in his absence then they will be in for an uphill struggle in their remaining two games.
The Elephants go on to face Colombia on 19 June in Brasilia and Greece on 24 June in Fortaleza.
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