Uruguay's World Cup preparations took a massive jolt after Luis Suarez underwent surgery on a knee problem.
The Uruguayan FA insist that Suarez will be fine. But with the World Cup just over two weeks away and the Liverpool striker being the country's most important player, there are plenty of worried faces in Uruguay.
BBC South American football expert Tim Vickery spoke to as always on a Tuesday and he gave us an idea of the worry lines that had begun to grow on the collective foreheads of the tiny South American nation.
"It's become a national commotion in Uruguay. They played a warm-up game against a local side and won 10 - 0 and during that game, Suarez put out on his Twitter account that the dream was intact, that he's going to be fine and that was read out to the crowd and that got a bigger cheer than any of the 10 goals," said Tim, who also explained that buses have replaced destination messages with Get Well Soon Messages.
But Tim also added that Uruguay often perform at their best in moments like these where their backs are against the wall.
"If worst comes to worst and they don't have Luis Suarez, even so they might be able to spring a surprise."
But Tim revealed that there are creaking limbs throughout the Uruguay team given that it is more or less the same team which was formed at the 2007 Copa America, with the back four lacking mobility and pace.
"Because of the ageing limbs in midfield and central defence, the gameplan really is to defend deep, with the defence and the midfield close together and slip the strikers on the break. So that happens with Luis Suarez or without him. Without Suarez, Cavani becomes the principal striker."
Tim also discussed the contributions Abel Hernandez and the ageing Diego Forlan could make should Suarez not be rearing to go, and how the order of their games in Group D could suit them.
He also gave us an insight into the history of Uruguayan football from its relationship with England amd its early success at the 1930 and 1950 World Cups and 1920s Olympics to the recent successes at World Cup 2010 and the 2011 Copa America.
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