Spain’s biggest group threat gets weaker as Uruguay playmaker may miss the World Cup: Who can replace him and when?
Spain's group rivals Uruguay suffered a huge setback for the World Cup as they may not have Giorgian de Arrascaeta. Group H features a pair of World Cup champions ready to battle for first place. With Spain considered the favorite to advance as the group winner, Uruguay are expected to finish ahead of Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. However, a new injury concern has emerged for Marcelo Bielsa‘s team. The player who may miss the World Cup entirely is Giorgian de Arrascaeta. His road to the tournament was already complicated after he suffered a fractured right collarbone while playing for Flamengo on April 29 in a Copa Libertadores match against Estudiantes. That injury was not expected to be a major issue because of the recovery time available, but a new problem has now appeared. During Tuesday’s training session with Uruguay, the midfielder left with calf pain and Uruguayan journalist Gonzalo Ronchi reported it could be a tear. If that diagnosis is confirmed, he would likely be replaced on the squad. Replacement candidates FIFA only requires federations to publicly announce their final 26-man squads. Teams were also required to submit provisional lists of up to 55 players beforehand, but those lists were not made public. However, reports from local media have provided clues about some of the players who were under consideration. 🚨 ATENCIÓN 🚨Se desgarró Giorgian de Arrascaeta y se pierde el Mundial con @Uruguay. Baja sensible para la celeste pic.twitter.com/59Eneg72gz— Gonzalo Ronchi (@GonzaloRonchi) June 2, 2026 Like several other national teams, Uruguay left some notable names out of the final roster, with a few experienced players surprisingly missing from the squad. One midfielder omitted by Bielsa was Lucas Torreira. While the Galatasaray player offers a different profile than de Arrascaeta, the coach could view him as an experienced alternative. Nahitan Nández was the most notable absence from the final squad and could become an option if Bielsa were to make a significant change in approach. Facundo Torres is another player who was believed to be close to making the team and could also be considered. The replacement deadline Even though the final 26-man squads have already been announced, changes can still be made under certain circumstances. FIFA’s regulations state: “A player in the final squad may only be replaced by a player from the provisional squad in the event of a serious injury or illness, no later than 24 hours before their team’s first match at World Cup 2026.” For Uruguay, that deadline falls on June 14.