The upcoming double-fixture of the South American 2022 World Cup Qualifiers will be special for Uruguay. For the first time in more than a decade, Oscar Washington Tabarez won't be in the dugout when La Celeste returns to action.
Needless to say, it won't be an easy job for Diego Alonso to fill in the Maestro's shoes. The former Inter Miami manager not only faces the challenge of getting his home country back on track, but he also had to make a big decision at the time of submitting the roster.
Iconic goalkeeper Fernando Muslera has been the dependable goalkeeper Uruguay have relied on for years but he won't be available for the upcoming matches - which could be crucial for their World Cup aspirations. But why is he not playing?
The reason why Fernando Muslera is not playing for Uruguay
Fernando Muslera won't play for Uruguay during the January-February fixtures because he is still recovering from a serious injury sustained during a Galatasaray game in December 2021.
Following a scary collision with teammate Christian Luyindama in a defeat to Demir Grup Sivasspor in the Turkish league, Muslera left the field on stretchers. Shortly after, it was revealed that he suffered a high-grade medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear in his left knee and a a stretched anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
While he continues working on his recovery process, this is an opportunity for Alonso to try and find a dependable replacement for the veteran goalkeeper. For this fixture, he called up Sebastián Sosa, Martín Campaña, Guillermo De Amores, and Sergio Rochet.
