Peruvian national team: What is known about Paolo Guerrero and Jefferson Farfán one month before the playoffs?

There is only a little more than a month left for the peruvian national team Fight for your World Cup spot Qatar 2022 in the intercontinental playoff. June 13, the day of the match against Australia or the United Arab Emirates, is well marked on the national horizon. and although Paolo Guerrero Y Jefferson Farfanthe two top referents of the ‘Blanquirroja’, continue to run against time, hopes are already over for both of them.

Paolo, 38 years old, and Jefferson, 37, have been away from the courts for quite some time. Problems in his knees have prevented him from playing football in recent months. And there is still no definitive news of his recovery.

The last time Paolo Guerrero played an official match was the October 8, 2021 in the ‘Clásico del Pacífico’ against Chile for the Qualifiers. “To get back to my level? I have to solve the issue of my knee, it seems that he doesn’t want to let me play “uttered the ‘Predator’ with a cracking voice at the post-match press conference.

Since then, there have been more than 210 days in which the top historical scorer of the Peruvian team has had to deal with the uncomfortable uncertainty. Guerrero has tried to resolve the problems with his knee (ligaments) these past seven months, but has been unsuccessful.

In fact, he found it necessary to travel to Germany and, later, to the United States to treat his injury. After that, it was expected that he would arrive in time to play the last double date of the Qualifiers in March, but that has not been the case. And he still doesn’t come back.

“I’m doing work in the field, but little by little”, were Guerrero’s last words about the evolution of his injury two months ago. Although the ‘Predator’ was recovering individually for a good time in Videna, in recent days he has no longer been attending regularly.

At this point, Paolo’s case has become a mystery. There is no news of his recovery yet. The worst thing is that he doesn’t have a club. In October 2021, he broke his contract with Internacional de Porto Alegre to focus solely on improving himself and, although the rumors of his return to Alianza Lima in recent months have been strong, the Peruvian striker has not yet stamped any signature.

As for his soccer brother, Jefferson Farfan, the situation is similar. The ‘Foquita’ has not played since November 28, 2021 in the second leg of the national final against Sporting Cristal. The Alianza Lima benchmark raised the Peruvian championship trophy, aware that he had to solve the problems with his knee that he has been dragging since 2019.

In the first months of 2022, Farfán focused on recovering on his own, with constant training at Videna, to be 100% on his return to Alianza Lima and the Peruvian team. However, at the beginning of April he decided to undergo a new surgical intervention, which has kept him away from the courts to this day.

“He is in full recovery. He was with us on the last day of training before the classic (against Universitario). He feels much better and we hope that the medical part authorizes us so that he can work with us, but I cannot say a date ”Carlos Bustos told a few weeks ago.

From the beginning, it was expected that “Foquita” could return in the match against César Vallejo on May 14, a week before the announcement of the call for the Peruvian team for the playoffs, but it is totally uncertain. So far, ‘Jeffrey’ has not returned to training with the Blue and White team.

In all this context, there have been more than 160 days without official action from Farfán. In the last week, the ‘Foquita’ received the Peruvian Futsal Down Team at his home and one of the boys asked him when he will play again in the ‘Blanquirroja’. “Soon already”was his response, although like Guerrero, he no longer attends Videna on a regular basis.

The technical command of the Peruvian team is quite reserved with these issues. But it is evident that both Paolo and Jefferson remain inactive and in good time. The ‘Predator’, in addition, is without a club. So, that situation is taking its toll on their intentions to return to the national team.

Both have been ruled out, because only a month after the transcendental match there are no positive news about their situations.

Taking into account that both are inactive and continue to focus on their recovery, there is no way they can fulfill the work plan established by the technical command of the Peruvian team for the game on June 13. Then, Guerrero and Farfán will only have to encourage their teammates to qualify for Qatar 2022 and, if they do, fight the following months to be considered on Ricardo Gareca’s World Cup list.