OSCAR NOT GIVING UP ON HIS ED MASTER

URUGUAY coach Oscar Tabarez is refusing to give up hope that Edinson Cavani could make the country’s quarter-final with France.

Cavani scored two goals in last weekend’s hard-fought knockout stage win over Portugal. But he limped off with a calf injury and has been fighting ever since to get fit in time for today’s Nizhny Novgorod showdown.

He “trained gently”, apart from the rest of the squad, but is widely expected to miss the game, with Cristhian Stuani likely to replace him in attack alongside Luis Suarez.

Tabarez, however, would not confirm, saying: “He’s a very important player for us and he was really playing very well.

“As soon as he got injured, he has worked hard to recover and fulfil his dream.

“I’m not going to say anything more about Cavani, I don’t want to get into games. Soon you will know who plays and who will be on the bench.”

Tabarez also dismissed concerns that a referee from neighbouring Argentina, Nestor Pitana, is to handle such an important intercontinental match.

“It’s a coincidence.” He added. “But we’ve never won a game with this referee. But I don’t want to start these games. It doesn’t really matter if he’s Argentine or not. He’s a good referee.”

Asked if two-time World Cup winners Uruguay could go all the way and match the successes of 1930 and 1950, Tabarez maintained he was only focused on

Friday’s game against a formidable team.

“We know what kind of country we are, how many inhabitants we have, our characteristics, our limitations,” he said of the nation of 3.3 million people.

“We are never the favourites. If we think about winning the World Cup, we need to keep that for private moments. It is not good for our focus and our concentration.”