Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona striker Luis Suarez will join up with his Uruguay team for the Copa America on June 1 despite doctors diagnosing that he had suffered a hamstring injury, the Catalan club announced Monday.

Suarez hobbled off in tears midway through the Copa del Rey final win over Sevilla Sunday after sustaining the injury to a muscle in the back of his thigh.

“Tests on Monday morning have confirmed that FC Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has suffered an injury to the semimembranosus muscle in his right leg,” Barca said in a statement.

“Following the recommendations of the Club’s medical services team, the 2015/16 Golden Shoe winner will begin his rehabilitation in Barcelona.

“On 1 June, Suarez will join the Uruguay national team in the United States, where he’ll continue with the second phase of his recovery.”

Suarez only returned to competitive international duty in March after completing a lengthy ban for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.

Uruguay face Mexico in their opening match in the Copa America, which is being hosted by the United States, on June 5 before playing Venezuela and Jamaica in Group C.

Suarez scored 59 goals in a prolific season for Barcelona to become the first man in seven years other than teammate Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Pichichi prize for La Liga’s top scorer.