"You will have to ask Alonso" - Uruguay star Edinson Cavani appears to take a dig at the manager after woeful display against PortugalΒ
Former Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani has pinned the blame for Uruguay's 2-0 loss against Portugal on Monday in their Group H clash at the 2022 FIFA World Cup on his manager Diego Alonso.
Bruno Fernandes scored a brace to seal the second win for Portugal in their group and helped his team qualify for the FIFA World Cup knockout stages in Qatar.
Speaking about his team's performance in the 2-0 loss against Portugal at the Lusail Stadium, Cavani said via The Mirror:
"You will have to ask Alonso about why we lost. He will be able to explain what happened tactically. There are many things that happen on the pitch that lead you to not being able to win the game.''
Cavani was on the pitch for 73 minutes where he failed to register a single shot on goal. He managed only 21 passes during his stay in the middle of the park.
The 35-year-old Valencia striker wants to forget what happened in the first two games and urged his team to secure a win in their last match. He added:
"Sometimes football matches work out and sometimes they donβt. Losing leaves a bitter taste because we have the potential to give more. We know that there are things to improve and correct and prepare for the next game as it should be prepared.''
"We need to find what we came here looking for out of this first round of matches," Cavani added. "We will correct what we have done wrong and we will try to do things better to win the last game."
Uruguay have managed to secure one point in two games, facing an early exit from the tournament. Alonso's side have struggled to score goals in the two games they have played despite having some incredibly talented attackers including Darwin Nunez, Edinson Cavani, and Luis Suarez.
They will be up against Ghana in their last Group H tie on Friday, December 2, which will be a do-or-die clash for them.
Portugal boss confirms Nuno Mendes' injury blow after their clash against Uruguay in the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday
Portugal boss Fernando Santos has confirmed that his talented left-back Nuno Mendes faces a major injury blow after he was subbed off late in the first half against Uruguay on Tuesday.
The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) youngster returned to the 26-man Portugal squad for the FIFA World Cup after a short hamstring injury break and looked lively for the Selecaos against Uruguay before hurting his hamstring again.
The Portuguese manager said that the medical staff will run tests on Mendes to confirm the severity of the injury as he hopes that the player recovers quickly before their knockout stage game in the FIFA World Cup.
Sky Sports' injury analyst Ben Dinnery quoted Santos on Mendes' injury issue, who said:
''If the player reacts quickly, it may not be that complicated. We will do test the day after tomorrow and see.''
Portugal will play their final Group H game against South Korea at the Education City Stadium on Friday, December 2.