Federico Valverde ruled out of Uruguay squad due to injury

Federico Valverde has been ruled out of Uruguay's upcoming international friendlies due to a grade 3 sprain in his left ankle. The injury occurred during a match against Atlético de Madrid following a challenge by Lee Kang-In. Real Madrid medical reports suggest Valverde will require two to three weeks for a full recovery, preventing his participation in the scheduled September fixtures.

To replace Valverde, coach Diego Forlán has called up Emiliano Martínez from the Brazilian club Palmeiras. Martínez has earned ten appearances for the national team across friendlies and World Cup Qualifiers.

Uruguay is scheduled to play two friendly matches in Asia: one against Japan in Miyagi on September 24, and another against South Korea in Seoul four days later.