Ecuador likely to face Peru without creative star Aguinaga

Ecuador play maker Alex Aguinaga is struggling to be fit to face Peru in a 2002 World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

The 33 year old Necaxa star has a muscular strain in his right leg and has not played since a World Cup win over Paraguay in April.

He is part of the Ecuador squad which is now training in Lima but is not expected to play with his understudy, Wellington Sanchez, suspended for the Peru match.

"If Aguinaga doesn't play, he will be my assistant because his presence in the team is vital," coach Hernan Dario Gomez told the Ecuador newspaper 'El Universo'.

Gomez is returning to work after being gunned down in a restaurant at a beach resort last month.

"I feel more and more moved by the affection, love, solidarity that exists among Ecuadoreans, of the union that exists, and with a group of boys who have always been leaders," Gomez said on his return to Quito at the weekend.

"The elimination matches are difficult, and very complicated. We are in a good position, but there's a lot left. We're going to give our all," he said.

Gomez was shot and his nose broken in the attack as he sat dining with an official of the Ecuador FA. He is recovering in Colombia and star players Alex Aguinaga, Ivan Kaviedes and Agustin Delgado have all said they will quit the Ecuador team if he leaves.

Gomez told Colombian radio last week that he was to quit his job but has now had a rethink.

With six games to go Ecuador are third in the CONMEBOL table with 22 points. But sixth-placed Uruguay are just four points behind and only the first four countries are guaranteed a place at next year's World Cup finals in Korea and Japan.

After he was shot hundreds of Ecuador fans took to the streets of the capital city to call for him to stay on. His side beat Brazil in March and they are enjoying their best ever World Cup campaign with Aguinaga in brilliant form.

Gomez remains worried by retaliation attacks after police suggested he testify in court at some point with one of former president Abdala Bucaram's sons linked to the shooting incident.