Marcelo Bielsa issued the call for Celeste’s last games of the year, with the return of Luis Suárez as the main novelty.
A transition year of 2023 is coming to an end for the Uruguayan national team, which saw the arrival of Marcelo Bielsa to the substitute bench and the start of a necessary generational change after the blow suffered at the World Cup in Qatar. To say goodbye to the year, La Celeste will have a double commitment in the South American qualifiers towards the 2026 North American World Cup: on Thursday the 16th they will visit Argentina in La Bombonera and five days later, on Tuesday the 21st, they will host Bolivia in the Centenario.
Looking ahead to the two matches, El Loco waited until the last minute to draw up the squad list, which was only announced on Monday the 13th, just four days before the Río de la Plata classic. The roster of 24 football players includes the return of Luis Suarez, called up for the first time since the arrival of the Argentine coach. The other one who returns after a long absence does Rodrigo Bentancurwho recovered from the torn ligaments he suffered in mid-February and has already added minutes at Tottenham.
The big absentee is now Edinson Cavaniwho was also preparing for his first call-up in the Bielsa cycle, but will ultimately miss the double date due to the injury he suffered in the match between Boca and Newell’s on Sunday the 12th.
Uruguay’s call to face Argentina and Bolivia
Sagittarians:
- Sergio Rochet (International, BRA)
- Franco Israel (Sporting Lisbon, POR)
- Santiago Mele (Junior, COL)
Defenders:
- Ronald Araújo (Barcelona, ESP)
- José María Giménez (Atlético de Madrid, ESP)
- Sebastián Cáceres (America, MEX)
- Matías Viña (Sassuolo, ITA)
- Bruno Méndez (Corinthians, BRA)
- Guillermo Varela (Flamengo, BRA)
- Mathías Olivera (Napoli, ITA)
Midfielders
- Manuel Ugarte (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA)
- Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham, ING)
- Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, ESP)
- Felipe Carballo (Gremio, BRA)
- Agustín Canobbio (Athletico Paranaense, BRA)
- Nicolás De la Cruz (river, ARG)
- Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Flamengo, BRA)
- Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United, ING)
Forward
- Maximiliano Araújo (Toluca, MEX)
- Facundo Torres (Orlando City, USA)
- Cristian Olivera (Los Angeles FC, USA)
- Federico Viñas (León, MEX)
- Darwin Núñez (Liverpool, ING)
- Luis Suarez (Gremio, BRA)
Source: Goal
Gregory Robert is a sports aficionado and a writer for “Social Bites”. He provides in-depth coverage of the latest sporting events and trends, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the world of sports.