Suarez to continue recovery from injury with Uruguay

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona have granted striker Luis Suarez permission to travel to his native Uruguay next week to join up with the national team for their World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Paraguay even though he is recovering from a knee injury.

(Reuters)

Suarez suffered trauma to his right knee in Barca's 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid on Aug. 16, with a club medical report stating he would be out of action for four weeks.

"Luis Suarez is recovering favourably from the knee injury he suffered in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup," said a statement from Barca on Friday.

"Barcelona's medical services and the Uruguayan Football Association have agreed that the player will join up with his national team next week to continue his recovery work."

Uruguay are third in CONMEBOL's World Cup qualifying table with four games remaining although they are level on points with Chile, in fourth, and one ahead of Argentina in fifth.

The top four sides qualify automatically for next year's World Cup in Russia, with the fifth-placed team entering a two-legged play-off.

(Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Neil Robinson)