Slovakia midfielder Tomas Suslov has returned to the field six months after a serious injury, making his first appearance of the season for Hellas Verona in the 82nd minute of the match against Sassuolo in Serie A.
In an interview with the official website of the Slovak Football Association (SFZ), the 23-year-old spoke about his return and the role he wants to have in the “play-off” matches for qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Suslov suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during a training session in August last year and spent months recovering. He expressed his excitement about his return.
“The feelings were a little mixed, because the match was practically decided. However, I was very happy that after a long time I was back where I feel better,” Suslov declared.
The midfielder has been closely following his teammates’ performances in the World Cup qualifiers and is optimistic about the upcoming matches. Suslov is working intensively to prepare for the play-offs.
“I’ve been supporting the boys a lot, I’ve been to every home game and I think they’ve done a great job. We achieved our goal and I strongly believe that in March we’ll play two big games and make Slovakia happy.”
“I’m doing everything I can to be ready and help the team. If everything goes according to plan, I believe I’ll contribute,” he added.
His last match for Slovakia was on March 23, 2025 against Slovenia in the Nations League. After a year, he could return to the field on March 26, when Slovakia will face Kosovo in the semi-final of the “play-off”.
“Kosovo will be very aggressive. Their players have a strong mentality and for them it is a unique opportunity to qualify for the World Cup. Therefore I expect a very strong and close match, where details will make the difference”, underlined the Slovakian midfielder.
The winner of this challenge will play in the final against Turkey or Romania, keeping alive the hope of a place in the 2026 World Cup. /Telegraph/