Oscar Tabarez’s side are reeling from the Liverpool star’s four-month ban but their opponents are on form without their own forward talisman

Colombia and Uruguay face each other in the last 16 in a test of which team can cope better without their star striker.

Uruguay are reeling following Luis Suarez’s suspension for biting Giorgio Chiellini in the 1-0 win over Italy in their final Group D game.

From the high of reaching the second round with that narrow victory in Natal, Oscar Tabarez’s side must refocus following the blow of losing Suarez, their main man and most significant scoring threat.

Suarez, who is banned from international football for nine matches, will not even be allowed in the Maracana on Saturday to watch his team-mates try to reach the quarter-final without him.

Uruguay struggled badly without Suarez in the 3-1 defeat to Costa Rica in their World Cup opener, but Edinson Cavani will look to step up and lead the attack, with either Diego Forlan or Gaston Ramirez likely to come in.

The defence stayed rock solid at the back, with matchinner Diego Godin particularly impressive, and they will have to repeat that display to keep out a Colombia team attacking with style and speed.

Even without the injured Radamel Falcao, Colombia have been one of the teams of the tournament and won Group C cruising to victory in all three matches, scoring nine goals in the process.

Colombia have not lost a match since their 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in September last year and come into the game with fresh legs after the likes of James Rodriguez and Mario Yepes were rested from the start in the 4-1 win over Japan last time out.

Yepes is expected to recover from a hamstring injury to start at the Maracana while Jackson Martinez is pushing for a start after scoring two goals against Japan.

The Chile midfielder criticised the striker’s attack on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini and says Uruguay have lost an important player for the remainder of their World Cup campaign

Chile midfielder Mauricio Isla has hit out at Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, describing the Liverpool forward’s bite on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini as “an ugly gesture” which has no place at a World Cup.

Suarez sunk his teeth into Chiellini in Uruguay’s 1-0 win over Italy on Tuesday and has been banned by Fifa for four months and nine international games, including his side’s last-16 clash with Colombia.

Speaking at a press conference just outside Belo Horizonte, where Chile are preparing for their own second-round game against Brazil on Saturday, Isla said: “It was an ugly gesture that has no place at a World Cup.”

And he added: “For Fifa, for everyone watching, it’s something you don’t want to see and now Uruguay have lost an important player.”

Isla, meanwhile, hopes Chile can produce another shock in this World Cup as they face hosts Brazil on Saturday, having already ended the hopes of holders Spain last week.

“We all know the quality Brazil have, with some of the best players in the world,” he said. “But we are happy with our performances and we were excellent against Spain. We showed what we are capable of and that’s what we have to do once again.”

Following the striker’s four-month ban from all football-related activity, the chief executive believes professional help is a must after two previous similar incidents

Gordon Taylor has slammed Fifa for not insisting on some form of counselling as part of Luis Suarez’s four-month ban from football.

The Liverpool striker was prohibited from all football-related activity for four months and banned from Uruguay’s next nine competitive international matches for biting Giorgio Chiellini in their 1-0 win over Italy.

The incident marred Uruguay’s progression into the last 16 and marked the third time in his career that the 27-year-old has been punished for biting.

Suarez received a seven-match ban for biting PSV’s Otman Bakkal in 2010, and was then suspended for 10 games for doing the same to Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in April 2013.

However, Suarez enjoyed a superb campaign last season, scoring 31 goals as Liverpool narrowly missed out on the Premier League title and winning the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year award.

PFA chief executive Taylor believed Suarez had turned the corner, but is now adamant the player needs dedicated counselling after taking what he described as “a backwards step”.

“[The PFA] felt things had got back on track [following his ban with Liverpool], it was up there for everybody to see, but of course this is a massive backward step on the world stage,” Taylor told Sky Sports News.

“I feel Fifa should have led the way with regard to trying to make sure that this behaviour is just eradicated and insist on there being some serious counselling and treatment for Luis Suarez because there’s no doubt he’s one of the finest players in the world – but this is a trait he has to get rid of.

“It’s just not good for him, for any of his club, his country or the game in general and I’ve not seen that issue addressed either.

“Of course it’s not good when you’ve got somebody of such talent who spoils that talent by such behaviour and that’s why I believe it needs looking at in a serious way. That treatment course needs to be part of any sanction, I would suggest.”