By Rohith Nair
MIAMI, June 14 (Reuters) - Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said on Sunday his medical staff had followed all the proper protocols in managing players' recovery from injury after several key squad members were sidelined ahead of the World Cup.
With Uruguay set to open their World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia on Monday, Bielsa defended his medical team's approach after defender Ronald Araujo suffered a muscle tear during training to join Jose Maria Gimenez and Giorgian de Arrascaeta
on the injury list.
Barcelona's Araujo also suffered an injury ahead of the 2022 World Cup and while he made the squad he did not play in the tournament in Qatar, where Uruguay made a group-stage exit.
"Araujo arrived with a muscle problem which wasn't serious. He had no serious muscle problems in the last six months at Barcelona. He also suffered a muscle tear," Bielsa told reporters.
"My conclusion is the same. If the player gets injured in training, something is wrong. But Araujo works with a group he trusts a lot and no decisions were made without reaching a consensus with them and Araujo himself.
"We feel responsible, but we couldn't have done anything differently."
Bielsa also compared the injury situations of Gimenez and Arrascaeta, who are recovering from ankle and calf injuries, respectively.
"Gimenez had an ankle problem and joined training a week later because the people who monitored his entire recovery are used to working with him and he trusts them a lot," Bielsa said.
"Finally, he's been with us for 15 days now and he has healed."
Bielsa said Arrascaeta was closely supported throughout camp despite a muscle injury, with staff taking responsibility while ensuring all decisions were made with his input, adding that every session was agreed upon between Uruguay, the player's team and his club Flamengo.
"A muscle tear during recovery and preparation must necessarily be interpreted as a mistake," Bielsa said.
"Regarding whether we didn't take all the necessary measures to prevent it, we took absolutely all the necessary measures."
For the game against the Saudis, the Argentine tactician said there would be no changes to the open, possession-based approach that has become his trademark.
"The way we play is no secret. We try to have possession of the ball, we try to go forward and attack with many players," he said.
"We try to play on the other side of the pitch and recover the ball quickly. And also to have a good relationship between possession and dangerous situations that we create."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Miami; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
