Oscar Tabarez has refused to confirm whether Edinson Cavani is able to play a part in Uruguay’s showdown with France in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
The Paris Saint-Germain ace was the two-goal hero for La Celeste in their 2-1 win over Portugal in the last round, only to limp off the field late on with a hamstring injury.
Cavani appeared certain to sit out Friday afternoon’s clash at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, but he was fit enough to join the rest of his teammates in training 24 hours before the match – the first time he has done so since being struck down by injury.
Asked about his plans for the 31-year-old, however, Tabarez told reporters: “From the moment he got this injury, it made him very sad. He’s a very important player for us and has been working very hard to recover. He’s concentrating on his hopes and dreams.
“I think we’ve given enough information about Cavani’s injury: we said what happened, we informed everyone with two press releases. There were many rumours so we issued a second release to explain exactly what kind of tests he had, and nobody respected it, so people started asking other professionals, who aren’t here.
“I’ve already said enough about Cavani. In less than 24 hours, you’ll know who will play. We’re not trying to pretend. We’re not trying to create any doubts or rumours. I’m always happy to see how, for instance, Cavani trained today with his teammates and to see how they joked around is very positive.
“That’s what happens when you have a family or group of friends together. If they’re confident and happy then it’s more likely they will make the right decision on the pitch. We have a plan like any team and you have to implement that on the pitch. It’s a strength that we are a close team and that’s not something the opposition can take from us.”
Luis Suarez has also struggled with a minor injury this week, but he is expected to start in attack against France.