Suarez set for Uruguay return

Luis Suarez is set to play for Uruguay for the first time since his infamous World Cup biting incident after head coach Oscar Tabarez called him up.

The Barcelona striker was banned for nine international matches - with one suspension already served during the World Cup - as well as all football-related activity for four months by Fifa after he bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder during their group stage clash in Brazil.

However, the 27-year-old earned a reprieve when his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport succeeded in relaxing the terms of his ban.

This allowed him to train and partake in friendly matches like La Celeste's upcoming fixtures against Saudi Arabia on Oct 10 and Oman three days later.

Reunion

Tabarez, who has renewed his contract with the Uruguayan Football Association till the 2018 World Cup, said: "We have the chance to have a reunion (with Suarez). He's a player we don't want to lose contact with, regardless of whether he can play or not."

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While Suarez will miss Uruguay's defence of the Copa America next year as well as a few of their 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Tabarez is trying to keep an optimistic outlook on the player's absence.

He said: "We've got to look on the bright side. At some point in the qualifiers, when the eight matches of suspension are over, we're going to get a great reinforcement."

Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani was notably missing from the Uruguay squad list, with Tabarez opting to leave the striker out in order for him to work on his fitness.

URUGUAY SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Martin Silva (Vasco Da Gama)
Defenders: Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica), Diego Godin, Jose Maria Gimenez (both Atletico Madrid), Emiliano Velazquez (Getafe), Gaston Silva (Torino), Martin Caceres (Juventus), Alvaro Pereira (Sao Paulo), Mathias Corujo (Universidad de Chile)
Midfielders: Egidio Arevalo Rios (UANL Tigres), Diego Arismendi (Nacional), Camilo Mayada (Danubio), Gaston Ramirez (Hull City), Nicolas Lodeiro (Corinthians), Cristian Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid), Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Defensor Sporting)
Forwards: Luis Suarez (Barcelona), Cristhian Stuani (Espanyol), Abel Hernandez (Hull City), Diego Rolan (Bordeaux), Jonathan Rodriguez (Penarol)

Source: Reuters