Uruguay looked a team short of ideas when they lost 3-1 to Costa Rica. They were missing their cutting edge and he goes by the name Luis Suarez.

Many expected Suarez to play the role of impact sub but clearly he has not fully recovered from his injury and was not risked. 

The absence of Suarez exposed a lack of creativity in the Uruguay side.

Fast, counter-attacking football has proved to be effective so far in the World Cup. Without Suarez, Uruguay couldn’t incorporate this game plan as they were missing the key man to link the midfield and attack.

While the temporary strike force of Edison Cavani and Diego Forlan looked far from potent against arguably the weakest defence in the group.

Uruguay fans will be praying for the Liverpool talisman’s return against England in a match that both sides simply cannot afford to lose.

Coach, Oscar Tabarez, knows the importance of Suarez but admitted he knew he simply wasn’t ready to face Costa Rica. 

“He is indeed a player that I count on, but he hasn't been able yet to play at competition level during training," Tabarez told reporters in Fortaleza after the defeat.

"We were not able to put him on the pitch for sure. Now we have four more days until the game against England."

The stakes will be huge in this encounter.