According to reports, the 24-year-old Alianza Lima striker had to leave the Peruvian team after failing to recover from a medical condition, which the media reported to be labyrinthitis, an inflammation of the labyrinth in the inner ear that can cause vertigo or hearing loss.
In this way, The player will not be present at the seventh round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers that Peru will play this Friday in Lima against Colombiaalthough it was indicated that the technical team led by Uruguayan Jorge Fossati will still wait to determine whether he will be able to travel to Quito for next Tuesday’s match against Ecuador.
Since the beginning of this week, the forward had not trained with his teammates and only did physical maintenance work in the gym.
Local media reported that the drop in Zanelatto opens the possibility that Fossati will incorporate the winger into the squad Sporting Cristal Maxloren Castrowho at 16 years old has been invited to train with the senior team after his outstanding performances in the national tournament.
Peru will continue training this Wednesday afternoon at the National Stadium, following the arrival on Tuesday of forward Yordy Reyna and midfielder Jesús Castillo, the latest to join the bicolor.
Reyna, who plays for Russian club Rodina, had not been called up to the Peruvian national team since 2022, while Castillo arrived from Portuguese club Gil Vicente.
Peru now has all of its players who play abroad, including Oliver Sonne, Marcos López, Joao Grimaldo, Sergio Peña, Alexander Callens, Gianluca Lapadula, Luis Advíncula, Santiago Ormeño, Bryan Reyna, Piero Quispe, Anderson Santamaría, Renato Tapia and Pedro Gallese.
Despite Peru occupying the last position in the South American qualifiers, with only two points in six rounds, the authorities consider that the National Stadium will have a large influx of spectators this Friday, so Colombian fans will only be able to sit in the east and west side areas, with no option to go to other locations for security reasons. EFE
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