The days leading to the World Cup is crucial for any player who has been named in the national team for the tournament.
After a hectic season for clubs, most players will be lucky to remain strong and fit for the tournament which takes centre stage from June 12. However, not all players are lucky to escape injury.
Last week, the Uruguay Football Association confirmed that their star striker, Luis Suarez had undergone a minor surgery but remained hopeful that the Liverpool striker will recover in time for the World Cup.
Yesterday, the Cote d’Ivoire Football Federation also confirmed that Yaya Toure is receiving treatment in Qatar for an unspecified injury before joining up with his Ivorian team mates at their World Cup training camp in the United States.
Toure is the only one of the 28 players named in the preliminary squad by coach Sabri Lamouchi to miss the start of their World Cup preparations in Dallas.
In a statement, the federation added that he will fly to the U.S. Thursday.
The Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha confirmed the BBC African
Footballer of the Year's admission for what it called, in a statement, a "minor injury".
Toure had suffered a thigh injury in mid-April but returned after two weeks to help Manchester City secure the Premier League title on the last day of the season. He went off in the second half with a reported hamstring injury as City beat West Ham.
The Ivorians play two warm-up friendlies in the U.S. against Bosnia in St Louis on Friday and El Salvador in Dallas on June 4. They will arrive in Brazil on June 6
At the World Cup, the Ivorians have been drawn in Group C and will compete against
Colombia, Greece and Japan.
