A month ago, we were covering the situation lived by Manchester City’s Claudio Bravo with the Chilean national team.
According to claims from the local press, the goalkeeper didn’t get any call from the staff or teammates since his Achilles injury, and was being completely left out of preparations for the Copa America.
However, things have been changing a little since it’s been made public that the player’s recovery is going fine. Now he’s starting to get some support in Chile, and even manager Reinaldo Rueda is talking about the possibility of taking him to the continental tournament.
World Cup winner Nery Pumpido has given an interview to La Cuarta this week, and besides saying Bravo should play the Copa America, he’s also claimed that the goalkeeper has at least five more years at the top level.
“It’s enough time for me to fight for a place,” Pumpido told La Cuarta. “Bravo has five more years to be in the elite of football, easy. In the position of goalkeeper, the older you are, the better, because of the experience you gain. The Chilean is a professional, he takes care of himself, a lot. It’s true, he had a complicated injury, but I see he has had a good recovery.
“The years in Europe give him an advantage over the rest. I really don’t know how the work of goalkeepers in Chilean football has come about, but in no way they can afford to leave out a player like Bravo. At this moment he is the best goalkeeper in Chile, he should be a starter in the next Copa America.”
Speaking to Canal 13 (via El Mercurio), manager Reinaldo Rueda has talked about Bravo’s recovery.
“His rehabilitation is positive and that favours us all. Having Claudio in the goal is a privilege, if he is on the right track it favours us, hopefully he can play soon.
“When players get hurt, one or the medical staff of the national team makes contact with them. It is followed up. It was done with Bravo, naturally, that follow-up has always been done.”
