PARIS, (Reuters) – Colombia striker Radamel Falcao’s hopes of participating in the World Cup finals hung in the balance yesterday when his Ligue 1 club Monaco announced he would undergo surgery on a left knee injury.
Monaco did not elaborate on the length of Falcao’s absence, but the Spanish news agency EFE reported that the 27-year-old forward could be out for six months.
“Radamel Falcao suffered a lesion on his left knee’s cruciate ligament. Surgery is necessary… the doctors will do everything they can to help Radamel Falcao recover as quickly as possible,” Monaco said in a brief statement.
A spokesman told Reuters by telephone that the club could not say anything more for the moment.
Falcao picked up the injury after scoring his team’s first goal in a 3-0 win at amateurs Chasselay Monts d’Or Azergues in a last-32 French Cup game on Wednesday.
Falcao was a key member of the Colombia side that coach Jose Pekerman steered to second place in the South American qualifying group and a direct place as one of the seeded nations for the finals, which start on June 12.
He top-scored for Colombia with nine goals and forged a good partnership up front with Teofilo Gutierrez which yielded a tally of 15.
