Barcelona striker Luis Suarez calms injury fears after limping out of Uruguay vs Argentina

Luis Suarez has allayed fears over another potential injury setback before Barcelona's post-international break La Liga clash with neighbours Espanyol after limping out of a goalless 2018 Conmebol World Cup qualifying draw between Uruguay and Argentina on Thursday night (31 August).

The former Ajax and Liverpool forward hobbled off in considerable discomfort after 83 minutes of a dour contest at Montevideo's Estadio Centenario, with such an exit provoking fears that he had further exacerbated an existing knee injury that had seen him sidelined since the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup on 16 August.

However, 92-cap Suarez, who started against Argentina despite missing both of Barcelona's opening league victories over Real Betis and Alaves, took to social media after the match to reassure fans that the issue was minor.

"An important point to continue to add and keep dreaming about the World Cup," he wrote on Instagram. "I'm fine, it was just cramp in my calf. Come on Uruguay."

Suarez could easily have been sent off in the latter stages of the first half for a horror tackle on Manchester City centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, but that challenge, in which the 30-year-old also appeared to hurt himself, was not punished by referee Victor Carillo.

He will expected to be fit for a trip to Paraguay on Tuesday, which takes place four days before Ernesto Valverde's Barcelona welcome winless cross-city rivals Espanyol to the Nou Camp. Uruguay have won none of their last six matches but still sit third in the South American qualifying table, behind in-form Brazil and Colombia and only point ahead of Chile and Argentina with three games remaining.

In addition to welcoming the influential Suarez back into the fold, Valverde will also hope to hand a debut to new €105m (£96.1m, $124.6m) signing Ousmane Dembele in the derbi barceloni. There could be other new faces on display, depending on how the Catalan giants fare in the remaining hours of the Spanish transfer window which closes on Friday evening.

Barcelona have signed five players so far this summer in Dembele, Paulinho, Nelson Semedo, Gerard Deulofeu and Marlon Santos, although have apparently now accepted that they will not be able to prise Philippe Coutinho away from Liverpool.

The 24-time Spanish champions have been tentatively linked with a shock late swoop for much-maligned Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil, while the likes of Andre Gomes, Arda Turan and Munir El Haddadi could all leave before the deadline passes.