Uruguay's World Cup squad puts Manuel Ugarte in and leaves Luis Javier Suárez out. Manchester United's midfielder is among three Premier League players named by Marcelo Bielsa, while the veteran striker is missing after a 20-month absence from international football.
Why Bielsa's selection stands out
The Premier League presence is clear. Uruguay included Rodrigo Bentancur, Santiago Bueno and Ugarte, giving Bielsa three current top-flight players in the squad. Ugarte has made 22 Premier League appearances for Manchester United this season and carries a 6.68 average rating, while Bentancur has 26 league appearances for Tottenham and Bueno has 29 for Wolves.
The bigger omission is Suarez. Bielsa left out the 39-year-old from his 26-man squad, despite Suarez having said he would reverse his retirement if Uruguay needed him after that 20-month spell away from international football. Bielsa has also backed D. Nunez, who is included despite not playing in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Hilal since February after the club reshuffled foreign-player registrations to sign Karim Benzema.
Uruguay open Group H against Saudi Arabia on 15 June, before facing Cape Verde and Spain.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
