His health has dominated Uruguay’s build-up to the World Cup and became a national obsession after Luis Suarez had surgery on his left knee on May 22.
It should perhaps not come as any surprise, given Diego Lugano, the country’s captain, describes his most renowned teammate as “irreplaceable”.
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Alberto Pan, the Uruguay team doctor, has spent more time in front of the media than many of the players, giving constant updates and vague prognoses.
Everyone wants to know about Suarez. The Liverpool striker has been carefully stepping up his rehabilitation since last week, his presence integral to his side’s chances of success this month.
At times, the frenzy has bordered on desperation. When, at the beginning of this month, Suarez joined Uruguay’s training camp in Montevideo, simply to share lunch with colleagues, a local newspaper carried a photo that appeared to show the forward moving freely. It was two years old.
His fitness continued to be the focus when coach Oscar Tabarez met the media in Fortaleza yesterday, on the eve of Uruguay’s Group D opener with Costa Rica. That much was to be expected; Suarez is a standout, not just for his national team, but in world football.
At Liverpool last season, he finished the English Premier League’s top goalscorer with 31 goals. He was arguably behind only Cristiano Ronaldo as the most influential player in Europe. As Uruguay sought to book their spot in Brazil, Suarez concluded South American qualification at the head of the scoring charts, too, netting 11 times.
So his contribution is key. In warm-up friendlies – both victories – against Northern Ireland and Slovenia, Suarez was understandably missed.
Against Slovenia, as Uruguay struggled to break down their opponents, the 50,000 that packed the Centenario chanted Suarez’s name. Yet the hosts reacted to triumph 2-0. Edinson Cavani and Christian Stuani scored. Diego Forlan, second behind Suarez in Uruguay’s all-time goals list, impressed alongside Cavani.
He may be 35 and playing his club football in Japan, but Forlan will be more than an able deputy against Costa Rica today.
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Granted, without Suarez, Uruguay can lack aggression and mobility up front – nobody embodies la garra, that fight-to-the-death commitment, more – but Cavani is a physical striker and a supreme finisher. In his debut season with Paris Saint-Germain, he scored 22 goals in 34 starts.
Uruguay will entrust Cavani, Forlan, Stuani and winger Cristian Rodriguez to carry their attack, which will be enough to shoot past Costa Rica.
Suarez may still be introduced at some point, but the toughest tests lie ahead: England on Thursday and Italy five days later. A fully recovered Suarez is essential for both.
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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