This marks the second time Navas has been held out of a major international tournament with a heel problem under the Spanish club Real Madrid. After Saturday’s showing, where Navas and his team won the Champions League title, many Costa Rican fans are questioning the severity of the injury.
A Fedefutbol spokesman told The Tico Times Monday that news of the injury was “definitely” a surprise, and that the federation had yet to talk to Navas hours after Real Madrid’s announcement.
Saprissa goalkeeper Danny Carvajal will take Navas’ place in the Copa América lineup, Fedefutbol announced Monday night.
Coming off a championship in this year’s European Cup, the star goalie was scheduled to join “La Sele” on Wednesday ahead of the Copa América tournament that begins this weekend in the United States.
From RealMadrid.com:
After the tests carried out this afternoon on our player, Keylor Navas, at the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital, he has been diagnosed with Achilles tendinopathy in his left foot. His recovery will continue to be assessed.
Achilles tendinopathy comes from repeated stress on the Achilles tendon, which joins the calf muscles to the heel bone, leading to inflammation and pain.
Navas was expected to be a key part of Costa Rica’s potential run in the Copa América, where it finds itself in a difficult group with Colombia, the United States and Paraguay.
The news adds to an already bad day for the national team, as the Costa Rican Football Federation announced earlier that forward Ariel Rodríguez could be held out of the tournament with an apparent pulled muscle.
La Sele left Costa Rica Monday for Orlando, Florida, where it will begin preparations for its match Saturday at the Citrus Bowl against Paraguay at 3 p.m. Costa Rican time.
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