Costa Rica star Bryan Oviedo promised he won’t put this summer’s World Cup before his career as he recovers from a broken leg injury. Signs have pointed to Oviedo returning to the Costa Rica national team in time for Brazil 2014 after he broke his leg in two places while playing for his Premier League club Everton in January.
However Oviedo noted this week that while he feels closer to being back on the pitch, nothing is certain. The rising Tico talent said he won’t jeopardize his future by gambling with his health in the World Cup.
From the U.K.’s Daily Express:
“Of course I want be in the World Cup,” he said. “It has one of the best experiences a footballer can have but I need to be honest for my career for the next year.
“I want to be ready. I don’t want to be 80 per cent or 90 per cent because it’s dangerous for me and the team.
“I am working for the World Cup but if it’s not possible, then I am working to recover for next season because it will be very important for me.”
“I was playing more before I broke my leg and I want to play more in the team and help the team next season. I don’t want to go to the World Cup and then come back to Everton and when I start to play have a lot of injuries.”
Oviedo could be the most important player on the pitch for Costa Rica at the World Cup, not named Keylor Navas. If he sits out of the tournament, it will be a devastating blow for a team that will compete with Uruguay, England and Italy in Group D. But the 24-year-old understands that he likely has a lucrative future if he can stay healthy.
Oviedo has been doing light training exercises, and will join Costa Rica’s national team in mid-May for a training camp a month ahead of the World Cup. The left-back said he hopes to test out his leg in Costa Rica’s upcoming friendlies against Japan and Ireland. But Oviedo admits he’s unsure how his leg will respond when playing at full speed.
