The Liverpool forward will take on some familiar faces when the two nations meet in Manaus but is confident that this side can cause the Three Lions problems
Luis Suarez believes that Uruguay have the ability to expose England’s weaknesses at the World Cup.
The Liverpool star is expected to lead his country’s attack in Brazil and will come up against a host of club team-mates when they face the Three Lions in Group D on June 19.
A number of Reds players are likely to feature for Roy Hodgson – including Suarez’s strike partner, Daniel Sturridge, and captain Steven Gerrard – though, while the former Ajax forward is not taking his opponents lightly, he feels that his side have what it takes to cause them problems in Manaus.
“I think [England] have very good players that are in form and that are part of the big teams,” Suarez told Perform.
“Most of the players come from the big names of the Premier League and that means a lot but we also know that they have some troubles and we know we can hurt them.”
No team from outside South America has ever won a World Cup held on the continent whereas Uruguay actually triumphed when the competition was last held in Brazil, in 1950, and the likes of Suarez and Edinson Cavani make the reigning Copa America champions a real threat this time around.
Uruguay were beaten by Brazil in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup last year but Suarez hopes to use that defeat as motivation.
“It is clear that Uruguay knows the meaning of a World Cup in Brazil,” the 27-year-old added. “It is more important because of what happened in the past but now we are living in the present – Brazil eliminated us in the Confederations Cup and it was not fair because I think we played better but that’s football and sometimes, despite playing a great game, you can’t always win.
“We realise that [the World Cup in] Brazil motivates us a lot because all the things that we have experienced in the past but there will be other national teams that will try to leave a good image and football nowadays is pretty even.”