The Christian Cueva case: why doesn’t he have surgery for the complicated injury to his knee and what do they say in the FPF?

The news was revealed by journalist José Varela. And El Comercio was able to find out more details about it: the complicated injury that Cueva has suffered has been going on for seven months. On March 26 of this year, Christian was injured in the intimates’ 2-1 victory over Atlético Grau at the Bernal Municipal stadium. Since then no one at the club said anything, but the attacking midfielder suffered a torn posterior ligament.

According to the information collected, the footballer sought the opinion of various doctors to know how to treat himself. And he found two answers: he should have surgery with a recovery time of four to six months or continue playing but with therapies. The player, with permission from the Alliance club, opted for the latter, although at many times the instability of his knee did not allow him to train normally.

The injury obviously has not allowed Christian to be at his highest level. Beyond the hours of therapy and personal training in search of strengthening his muscles, his performance on the field has been poor: 27 games in 2023 (1,373 minutes played) and he only records one assist. The club had launched “The Cueva challenge” which consisted of drawing for the “Intimates” – a membership in which fans subscribe to an annual payment plan to obtain benefits – an autographed ball for each goal scored by ‘Aladdin’, which which has not happened so far.

The striking thing is that Alianza Lima decided to renew the player’s contract until the end of the year, knowing what was behind it and without making it public knowledge. In fact, once the bond is over, Christian should return to Al Fateh (the Arab club that owns his pass), but with an unhealed injury on his back.

What do they say from Videna?

Christian Cueva’s first call-up in the Reynoso era was in June for the team’s mini tour of Asia to face South Korea and Japan. It was also the last.

This newspaper learned that the attacker told coach Juan Reynoso about the injury to his knee. But he also explained to him that he had the option to continue playing without surgery. However, the high level required by the Qualifiers does not allow you to play injured and that is why the coach did not call him back.

In fact, for the first two dates (against Paraguay and Brazil), the team announced his withdrawal – as well as that of Flores – due to injury. Although in the diagnosis he said “muscle fatigue”, it was probably the issue of his knee. So far he has not been called up again and there is not much hope that he will appear in the November squad for the matches against Bolivia and Venezuela.

Cueva took the risk of playing injured, treating himself with therapies and strengthening, but his decision did not work. Also for the indiscipline that he has committed. The most serious thing about the matter is that in Alianza they have believed and expected to see it one hundred percent and that will not happen. Not for now.

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