Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani has failed to recover from injury in time for Friday's World Cup quarter-final against France, with Cristhian Stuani replacing him up front alongside Luis Suarez.
Cavani scored two goals in the round of 16 win over Portugal then limped off with a calf injury, so Uruguay had desperately hoped to have him fit for the match at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
Fleet-footed France will have to find a way past the tournament's joint-meanest defenders Uruguay in the first of two inter-continental World Cup quarterfinals on Friday.
The South Americans kept Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo at bay in their 2-1 last-16 win, and that goal conceded was the only one against them so far in Russia — a defensive feat only matched by Brazil, who play Belgium later on Friday.
But France banged in four goals in their last 16 game against Argentina, and will be hoping their formidable attacking trio of Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe can turn it on again at the Nizhny Novgorod stadium.
