Spain keeper Valdes to miss World Cup

Victor Valdes undergoes surgery on his knee and will be out for seven months, meaning he will not go to Brazil.

Valdes suffered a cruciate ligament injury making a routine save in last week's match against Celta Vigo [Reuters]

Spain goalkeeper Victor Valdes will miss the World Cup after being ruled out of action for seven months following knee surgery.

He had been in good form this season for Barcelona, who are in contention to win three trophies, before suffering a cruciate ligament injury making a routine save in last week’s La Liga game against Celta Vigo.

The 32-year-old Spain international went under the knife in Augsburg, Germany, on Monday morning and Barca confirmed on their website the surgery had gone successfully. 

“The player has been operated on by Dr Ulrich Boenisch and Ricard Pruna in Augsberg, Germany,” the club said in a statement.

“The operation was a success and he will now be out for approximately seven months.”

World Cup over

Valdes, 32, was set to be named in Vicente del Bosque’s Spain squad to go to the World Cup and had a good chance of being the first-choice keeper with Iker Casillas having lost his place in the Real Madrid team to Diego Lopez.

The long-serving custodian has long planned to leave the Nou Camp at the end of his contract in June, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen having already agreed a summer move from German side Borussia Monchangladbach.

Valdes has played 535 senior games for Barca since making his debut over a decade ago, and won six Primera Division titles, three Champions League crowns and two Copa del Reys among a host of other trophies. 

He was also part of the Spain squad that won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship. 

Source: Reuters