Sunderland’s Omar Alderete faces World Cup injury race against time

Sunderland are continuing to monitor Omar Alderete's fitness after the defender remained absent from full Paraguay training ahead of their World Cup last-16 meeting with France.

The experienced centre-back is recovering from a muscle injury suffered during the group stage and his participation in one of Paraguay's biggest matches in recent years is now in serious doubt.

With medical staff refusing to rush his recovery, Sunderland will also be watching developments closely ahead of the new Premier League season.

According to AS Américas journalist Simón Escudero, Alderete has yet to rejoin full team training after suffering a muscle strain during Paraguay's 1-1 draw against Australia on 26 June.

The injury forced him to miss the final group-stage match against Germany and continues to limit his workload.

Following Paraguay's arrival in Philadelphia, the Sunderland defender trained individually alongside the national team's medical staff rather than participating in full sessions with his teammates.

His programme reportedly consisted of light recovery exercises and walking work as he continues rehabilitation.

Despite Alderete's importance to the national side, Paraguay manager Gustavo Alfaro is reportedly determined not to rush the defender back too early.

According to the report, the coaching staff "will not take risks" with the Sunderland player's fitness.

Instead, Alderete will continue following an individual recovery programme before any decision is made regarding his availability against France.

At this stage, his participation remains highly uncertain.

The timing is less than ideal for Sunderland as preparations for the new Premier League campaign continue.

Alderete enjoyed another consistent season at club level before joining Paraguay for the World Cup and remains one of the most experienced defenders available to both club and country.

Losing Alderete for an extended period would represent a significant setback. His leadership, aerial presence and experience have become valuable assets, particularly with the club returning to Premier League football. Sunderland will therefore hope the medical staff's cautious approach prevents the muscle injury from becoming a longer-term problem.

For now, however, Paraguay's priority remains giving the defender every opportunity to recover fully before risking his return in the knockout stages.

Paraguay will continue assessing Alderete's fitness over the coming days before making a late decision on his involvement against France. Sunderland, meanwhile, will hope the cautious recovery plan allows one of their key defenders to return fully fit ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Can Omar Alderete recover in time to face France, or will Sunderland's defender be forced to watch from the sidelines?