Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo confirmed he is in a recovery period after undergoing successful thigh surgery.
The Uruguay international is reported to be out between 10 and 12 weeks following the operation in Finland on an adductor longus tendon avulsion in his right thigh.
That would rule Araujo out of next month’s World Cup, with La Celeste naming their 23-man squad on November 13 before launching their tournament against South Korea 11 days later.
Reports last month suggested Uruguay were placing pressure upon Barca to delay any operation in order to ensure the best chance of tournament availability for the 23-year-old.
But the Catalan giants subsequently confirmed he would undergo an operation, with his recovery period taking him comfortably past the end of the World Cup.
Araujo tweeted: “After intense weeks, I want to share that, thank God, everything went well with the operation.
“I’ve already started my recovery, and I’m focused on coming back in the best possible way. Thank you all for your messages of support.”