Oswaldo Minda earned a late call-up to Ecuador's World Cup finals squad on Sunday as a replacement for the injured midfielder Segundo Castillo.
Castillo, who plays his club football for Saudi Arabina side Al-Hilal, lost his battle to be fit after injuring ligaments in his right knee during a friendly with Mexico on May 31.
"In spite of his determined efforts and those of the medical team he will not be fit in time for the World Cup," the Ecuador Football Federation said in a statement.
Minda, 30, was in coach Reinaldo Rueda's provisional 30-man squad but was left out when the final list of 23 was submitted.
Minda, who played for Ecuador at the 2011 Copa America, will add steel to the Ecuadorean midfield although Rueda will hope he is more disciplined than when playing for his MLS side Chivas where he has acquired a reputation for being a hardman and has a poor disciplinary record.
Ecuador, who reached the last 16 in their last appearance at the finals in 2006, have been drawn in Group E along with 1998 World Cup champions France, Switzerland and minnows Honduras, whom Rueda coached at the 2010 World Cup finals.
They open their campaign against the Swiss on Saturday in Brasilia.
Source: AFP
