The medical staff of the Costa Rica National Team announced that Keylor Navas would miss the Gold Cup after failing to recover from his injury.
Doctor Alejandro Ramirez indicated that despite the medical and player’s efforts, it wasn’t enough for his timely recuperation, and he will not be able to participate in the competition.
“From the beginning of his injury, Keylor underwent rehabilitation and a series of procedures to speed up his recovery. Before traveling to the United States, we met with him to give him a platelet-rich compound to help speed up his recovery, but unfortunately, it was not enough,” said the doctor.
Navas got hurt during his last club game, and according to the team’s physicians, he had a muscle tear in his left abductor.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), we did an MRI to assess the state of the injury and evaluate if the platelet-rich compound had helped. We saw that he is making very good progress. Unfortunately, it is not enough to be able to participate in this competition since he will need between 3 and 4 weeks for complete recovery”, detailed Alejandro Ramirez.
Keylor Navas has been in constant communication with coach Luis Fernando Suárez and doctor Ramírez. At the time, the goalkeeper thought he could be ready for the Gold Cup, but the final studies indicated this would not be possible.
“Unfortunately, he will not be able to participate, no matter how much effort we made and how much work he put in to be able to participate in the Gold Cup. There’s not enough time, and the risk of a relapse or a more serious injury is very high,” said Alejandro Ramirez.
Navas’ spot will be taken by the already called-up Alexandre Lezcano, who will travel from France, where he was participating with the U-23 team, to join La Sele during the weekend.
Kevin Chamorro, Jussef Delgado, and Lezcano will defend the Costa Rican National Team goal.
Keylor’s absence is a significant loss for the national team, as he is one of the biggest stars and most experienced players.
Costa Rica has already begun preparations for the Gold Cup. La Sele is in debt since it has never won this trophy. However, their recent performances have generated doubts among the fans.
