Fit-again Recoba accepts midfield role

Wednesday 29th May 2002

Uruguay star Alvaro Recoba has admitted that he will play wherever coach Victor Pua tells him against Denmark after declaring himself fit for the game.

Recoba has recovered from a knee injury and, although he did not complete the whole training session on Wednesday, he was adamant that he will be fit to face the Danes on Saturday.

"I went off early because I didn't want to risk anything. I only have the Denmark game in my mind at the moment," he said after the training in Cheonan.

Coach Victor Pua, meanwhile, has decided against deploying the Inter star in attack, with Dario Silva and Sebastian Abreu preferred as his two strikers, and will now have to take a decision on whether to play Recoba to the left or as a playmaker in the middle.

Recoba said: "He [Victor Pua] played me in midfield in the friendly against Yokohama Marinos and he asked me whether I would consider playing in that position.

"I answered that I would play wherever he told me to. If I have played in midfield for an Argentinian [Hector Cuper at Inter] all season I will certainly do the same for a Uruguayan coach," he added.

"I am not sure that playing in midfield is my best position but I couldn't tell my coach where I should play and perhaps I would have a worse game in attack.

"Therefore I will happily play where he tells me to. I don't have a problem at all," he added.

Recoba is expected to play alongside Gustavo Varela, who replaces the injured Fabian O'Neill, Pablo Garcia and Roma star Gianni Guigou in midfield.

[onefootball.com]