JOIN USA confident Arturo Vidal said his knee cartilage surgery in Barcelona on Wednesday was a success, rekindling Chilean hopes that he may yet make it to the World Cup finals.
"The operation went very well!!!," the Juventus midfielder said on Twitter. "Now I'm going to give my all to be with my fellow players in Brazil."
A picture attached to the tweet showed a grinning Vidal flashing a thumbs-up sign above his thickly bandaged right leg. Hovering over the hospital bed was fellow Chilean soccer star Alexis Sanchez who plays for Barcelona.
A key member of Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli's team, Vidal suffered a tear to the external meniscus in his right knee. He aggravated the problem playing for Juventus, crowned Serie A champions at the weekend, in the second leg of their Europa League semifinal against Benfica last Thursday. Chile are pinning their hopes on the versatile and energetic 26-year-old player in a tough group at the tournament in Brazil starting on June 12.
The head of the Chilean football federation, Sergio Jadue, said on Wednesday Vidal had assured him he would be there. Vidal's absence would be a major blow to the Andean team, who face world champions Spain, the Netherlands and Australia in Group B. Speculation surrounding Vidal's condition has reached fever-pitch in soccer-crazed Chile, with reporters even asking president Michelle Bachelet, a doctor by training, about his recovery.