Australia's World Cup opponents Paraguay have been left waiting nervously on the fitness of their midfield star Julio Enciso, who was taken off on a stretcher in tears in a warm-up international just a week before their tournament opener.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder had to come off in the 25th minute of Paraguay's 4-0 win over Nicaragua in Asuncion, with the team's head coach Gustavo Alfaro saying Enciso will undergo tests.
Alfaro said he remained "hopeful" that the injury was not muscular, but the loss of the Strasbourg midfielder, who's impressed in France's Ligue 1 this season, would be a huge blow for Paraguay.
"Julio suffered two simultaneous injuries; a tight hamstring from impact and then on his waist, which affected his quadriceps area," Alfaro said. "He got scared and that's why he came off."
