Forlan hopes injury will not rob him of chance to claim the Golden Boot award

The Uruguay striker is hoping a right thigh injury will not stop him from playing in the third-place play-off match against Germany.

CAPE TOWN // Diego Forlan, the Uruguay striker, is hoping a right thigh injury will not stop him from playing in the third-place play-off match on Saturday as he attempts to win the Golden Boot award. Uruguay will take on Germany in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. Forlan has four goals in the tournament, one fewer than the leading scorers: Wesley Sneijder, Holland's playmaker and David Villa, the Spain striker. Forlan was replaced in the 84th minute of the 3-2 semi-final loss to the Dutch on Tuesday due to the injury. He had earlier scored Uruguay's opening goal.

"I'm hoping to be there on Saturday," said Forlan, who said he was hurt in the first few minutes of thematch. The Atletico Madrid striker has scored 28 times for his country, three fewer than Hector Scarone's all-time record. At club level, the 31-year-old Forlan has also twice won Europe's Golden Boot award as the continent's top scorer. "Now what's left is to play to the death for third place," said Luis Suarez, Forlan's strike partner, who will return from suspension on Saturday. "Because we know we've had a great World Cup, we don't want to just make do with being among the top four.

"For this squad, the World Cup is not over yet. The World Cup goes on and, just as we wanted to go as far as possible before, now we want to make sure we are among the top three." * AP