Luis Suarez played his last game for the Brazilian team, Gremio, and is expected to be a free agent ahead of the winter transfer window. Amidst the speculation of his next destination, the former Golden Shoe winner sat down to explain the reality of his joint disease.
The Uruguayan legend spoke to Sport 890 Radio about how difficult it is for him to play in each match. Suarez revealed: “Days before each game I take three pills, and hours before playing I get an injection. If not, I can’t play. Hence the limp. Now I can tolerate this osteoarthritis, but I have to think that in maybe five years I won’t be able to play five-a-side football with my friends.”
The former Barcelona and Liverpool striker added: “The truth is that the first steps in the morning are very painful. Anyone who sees me thinks that it is impossible for me to play a game. My son asks me to play with him and I simply cannot.”
Luis Suarez reveals what he goes through in order to play in matches 🤕 pic.twitter.com/sBQNCxmgsH
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 5, 2023
Suarez has osteoarthritis in his right knee, for which he has been going under special treatment under the guidance of Gremio’s medical team. As a precaution, he was always rested whenever Gremio played on synthetic turf in any of their fixtures. Even with constant pain, Suarez was able to deliver for the Brazilian outfit by scoring 24 goals and 17 assists in 52 matches.
Suarez will turn 37 in January and throughout the summer there were strong hints that the former Barcelona striker will join his old teammates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets in Inter Miami. However, those plans might be in danger after the latest comments from the striker.
Luis Suarez reunion with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami is in danger
The Uruguayan striker suggests that there is no assurance that he will continue his career in 2024. Before his last game with Gremio, Suarez commented about his future: “I can feel pain, my body is speaking for me. I want to enjoy and then decide for myself after a long career. I need to rest, enjoy my family… then destiny will know where I’ll be in the future.”
Inter Miami is currently enjoying a longer break from the season after failing to qualify for the playoffs for the MLS Cup. The next season is predicted to start in February 2024. Suarez has two months to decide on his future. The Miami club is gunning for Barcelona talent to improve their ranks, as Sergio Roberto is also rumored to join the club in the January transfer window.
🚨 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Inter Miami are finalizing a deal to sign Luis Suárez on a one-year deal, @TheAthletic report 🌴👚 pic.twitter.com/bFl88WbeqO
— 433 (@433) December 5, 2023
If Suarez decides to pull the curtain on his career, he will go down as one of the most lethal strikers in the 21st century. In 767 club matches, he has scored 469 goals and 263 assists. He has been the top scorer in six different competitions including La Liga and Premier League and won the Golden Shoe award in the 2015/16 season by scoring 40 goals for FC Barcelona, truly a modern great.