Suarez returns as Rooney pressure mounts

Jun 17, 2014 - 3:28 PM With their World Cup fates already in jeopardy, Uruguay and England will be counting on their unpredictable strikers to revive their campaigns in Sao Paulo on Thursday.

Luis Suarez is preparing to return from Uruguay's treatment room and hoping his scoring abilities have not been impeded by injury.

Wayne Rooney, England's one-time teenage prodigy, will be seeking to prove his critics wrong by finally scoring at the pinnacle of international football.

Uruguay and England desperately need their star forwards to deliver after both teams made a losing start to their World Cup campaigns.

England was seen as a gallant loser in Group D on Saturday, showing a real willingness to attack but still going down 2-1 to Italy.

On the same day, Uruguay, a favourite after reaching the 2010 semi-finals, was unexpectedly ripped apart in a 3-1 defeat by Costa Rica.

Suarez was forced to endure Uruguay's desolation from the bench, but has declared himself fit following knee surgery, and will be eager to make an impression on the tournament.

A controversial figure, the Liverpool striker has caused outrage in England for incidents that led to two lengthy bans, one for racism and the other for biting an opponent.

Before those, Suarez was condemned at the 2010 World Cup for a cynical handball on the goal-line that allowed Uruguay to advance to the semi-finals.

Liverpool teammate Daniel Sturridge, who could be leading England's strike force, wouldn't break the rules like that.

"We don't like to cheat to win. We want to play in an honest way," Sturridge said in response to a general question about Uruguay.

"I'm going to do anything in my power to win this game, provided it's within the rules of the game, but I'm not going to dive and I'm not going to handball a goal shot because it's not in my nature."

Video analysis of Suarez and his teammates has been on the agenda at the England camp this week.

How sharp Suarez will be in front of goal, though, remains uncertain after more than a month on the sidelines.

Source: AAP