please log in to view this image V please log in to view this image Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has been declared fit to play following knee surgery and is expected to start. Captain Diego Lugano is out with a knee injury, with Jorge Fucile expected to replace banned right-back Maxi Pereira. England manager Roy Hodgson must decide whether to keep faith with Wayne Rooney following a ninth World Cup game without scoring against Italy. Play media Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back in training following a knee ligament injury but remains a doubt. Though Suarez is expected to start, Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez admits his talisman may not be fully fit for the game in Sao Paulo. "If he plays, we must consider the possibility that he's not as well as he was during the Premier League season," said Tabarez. "Even when he's not 100% he's someone who can give a lot to this team. That's what we're considering now." Tabarez said the Liverpool striker had "recovered well" from his knee surgery on 21 May. He added: "He's been training and playing with his team-mates during this last week. He's been able to train, but a training session is not the same as a match." MATCH PREVIEW Beware the wounded animal. Defeats for both countries in their opening match means this fixture is considered must-win. Whereas the general consensus was that England put in one of their best displays at a major tournament for many a year in their 2-1 loss by Italy, Uruguay were roundly criticised for their lacklustre display in their surprise defeat to Costa Rica. The build up to the match has been dominated by a tale of two strikers. The fitness of Luis Suarez, Uruguay's all-time goalscorer, a national hero and a scorer of three goals at the last World Cup, is still an ongoing concern as he continues his rehabilitation from knee surgery. Back in full training, whether he can last 90 minutes is another question. England's Wayne Rooney, just 11 goals shy of Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time England goalscoring record, is not certain to play either. Deployed on the left to begin with against the Italians, he provided his first World Cup assist during the game but his first tournament goal still awaits. Rooney was spotted training with England's back-up players on Monday, leading to speculation he could be dropped. He took to his Facebook page to rubbish such suggestions: "I said from the start I want to do everything I can to make sure I'm ready for these World Cup games... That's exactly what I did (on Monday), my own extra training because that's what I wanted to do". Suarez, the PFA and Football Writers' Player of the Year for the 2013-14 season following his 31-goal haul, has claimed: "I know all the players in the England squad either because they're my team-mates or because I've faced them. They have some defensive flaws we can exploit." Yet it's comments from Suarez's Anfield strike partner Daniel Sturridge that have stoked the fires ahead of the game after taking a swipe at Suarez's antics against Ghana four years ago. He said: "I'm going to do anything in my power to win this game, provided it's within the rules of the game, but I'm not going to dive and I'm not going to handball a goal shot because it's not in my nature". Head-to-head The two nations have previously met twice at the World Cup: Uruguay won 4-2 in the 1954 quarter-finals and the two sides drew 0-0 in the group stage in 1966. They last met in a friendly in March 2006 at Anfield. England won 2-1 with goals by Peter Crouch and Joe Cole. Uruguay Uruguay continued their run of not winning an opening group game since 1970 with defeat against Costa Rica. They have only won their second group game in one of their last six World Cup appearances. That was a 3-0 victory against hosts South Africa at the last World Cup. Uruguay played twice in Sao Paulo the last time the World Cup was held in Brazil (1950), drawing 2-2 against Spain and winning 3-2 against Sweden. With a population of 3.3 million, Uruguay is the smallest nation at the World Cup. Seventeen members of Oscar Tabarez's 2011 Copa America-winning squad are part of the 23-man party in Brazil. England Only four teams (8.7%) have progressed to the last 16 after losing their opening game since the current World Cup format was introduced in 1998. England have scored in each of their last eight World Cup encounters with South American sides. They have conceded six goals in their last two World Cup games dating back to 2010. They have never conceded two or more goals in three straight games. Daniel Sturridge has scored three goals in his last four appearances for England. Sixteen of England's last 20 World Cup goals have come before half-time. England recorded their highest-ever World Cup pass completion rate (91%) in the opening match v Italy (1966-2014). Wayne Rooney created more chances than any other player in the England v Italy game (three, including one assist). ------------- Really looking forward to this, Lugano is a big miss for them. It is going to be raining while the game is being played tonight as well Come on England! please log in to view this image
There have been some strange results already in this WC. We should win this, but I reckon it'll be a down-to-the-wire job. I think/hope we'll win. Main thing though - NO injuries to LFC players please
I reckon Italy will win all three of their games (obviously already beat us) so I'd take the draw against Uruguay and have a all or nothing game against Cost Rica
I wish no injury on any player so I just hope suarez is abducted by aliens who then probe him violently.
i wish no injury at all on rooney and welbeck and i hope utd have them back fit for the start of the year... along with carrick, cleverly and jones... i can't even hold a straight face long enough to add sick note smalling to the list of fit players. #poisonedchalice.
Ive already placed a #counterjinx in the world cup thread. 10-0 win for the Guays featuring the teeth.
Imagine the scenes if Jaws dives to win a decisive penalty after a challenge from Stevie Me..... I'm not sure which would be funnier, that, or Gerrard snapping him like a twig
