Uruguay's recovering striker Luis Suarez will not start against Costa Rica in their World Cup Group D opener on Saturday, said coach Oscar Tabarez.
Suarez had keyhole surgery on his left knee three weeks ago and, although he been recovering well, Tabarez said he did not want to push him into starting Saturday's match.
"We're just about to go out and train here but unless anything happens my starting lineup will be as follows," Tabarez told a news conference on Friday at Fortaleza's Castelao Arena.
He then listed his starting 11, omitting Suarez and naming Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan as his two strikers.
"Yesterday marked three weeks since Luis Suarez had surgery," the coach said. "We've been building up his recovery and so far he hasn't suffered setbacks.
"Yesterday (Thursday) afternoon he did the most important thing you can do in training - he played a match, and he played without any problems.
"But obviously that's not as demanding as a competitive match. We've done all the preparations for this game without Luis."
Suarez has been on fire for Liverpool in the English Premier League this season, scoring 31 goals in 33 appearances.
Tabarez said his starting team would be:
1-Fernando Muslera; 16-Maxi Pereira, 2-Diego Lugano, 3-Diego Godin, 22-Martin Caceres; 17-Egidio Arevalo Rios, 5-Walter Gargano, 11-Christian Stuani, 7-Cristian Rodriguez; 10-Diego Forlan, 21-Edinson Cavani
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