Injuries hit Peru´s Copa plans

Peru’s hopes of impressing at next month’s Copa America have been hit hard by injuries.

Winger Jefferson Farfan was added to the casualty list when he hurt his left thigh muscle in practice on Friday.

Peru’s Uruguayan coach Sergio Markarian has already had to plan without Werder Bremen striker Claudio Pizarro who was ruled out a week ago with a knee injury.

Also injured is Fiorentina midfielder Juan Vargas but Markarian is optimistic the 27-year-old will recover in time.

“It was 20 minutes into football practice. Farfan had made a very good move … and then he was injured. The way he fell is worrying,” Markarian said.

Farfan, who has not yet been ruled out of the tournament, is due to have a scan to determine the extent of his injury.

Markarian said tests taken some weeks ago showed several players in the squad had muscle problems, including Farfan, and the coaching staff had been careful not to overload them.

Peru, in Group C with Chile, Uruguay and Mexico, are looking for a good tournament ahead of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

The Peruvians last played at a World Cup in Spain in 1982 and finished bottom of the South American group in the 2010 qualifiers.

“This has never happened to me … never in my life,” Markarian said of having three players injured at the same time.

“It’s unusual, inexplicable (but) it’s not bad luck,” added the 66-year-old who has also coached Paraguay and club sides in Peru, Greece, Mexico, Chile and Uruguay.

“This alters everything. I plan something and (have to) go re-doing it as I go along.”