Luis Suarez ‘feeling good’ and could return for Uruguay against Venezuela + Copa America kick-off times

Luis Suarez, centre, missed Uruguay's opening Group C match with a hamstring injury. Ross Franklin / AP Photo

Uruguay v Venezuela, beIN Sports, 3.30am

Uruguay are hopeful Luis Suarez will return for their must-win Copa America clash with Venezuela.

The striker missed their opening 3-1 defeat to Mexico with the hamstring injury he suffered in Barcelona's 2-0 Copa del Rey final win over Sevilla last month.

Uruguay face Venezuela in Philadelphia on Friday needing to stop their opponents moving six points clear with a game left.

And midfielder Alvaro Gonzalez said during a press conference he was confident Suarez could return.

“We are very happy with the way he is progressing with the injury,” Gonzalez said. “He’s still trying to control himself and doesn’t want his body going too hard, but he is feeling good.

“We will wait and see when we can count on him.”

See also:

• Gallery: Former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez on the scoresheet in Mexico win over Uruguay

• Copa America Day 3: Anthem blunder least of Luis Suarez-less Uruguay's woes as Mexico win 3-1

Meanwhile, Uruguay Football Association president Wilmar Valdez believes it was a mistake to play the Copa America in the United States.

Organisers in Arizona on Sunday accidentally played the Chilean national anthem instead of Uruguay’s ahead of the loss to Mexico.

The tournament, which marks the 100th anniversary of South America’s championship, is being hosted outside of the continent for the first time.

“Conmebol made a mistake by holding a tournament of this scope, a cup with some of the oldest national teams in the world and in South American football here in the United States,” he told Uruguay radio Sport 890.

“It pains me to say it and I take full responsibility as a member of the Conmebol executive committee. This may be a great copa from a marketing and ‘show’ standpoint, but for South American football, it is another thing.”

Venezuela’s only win in their last six competitive games came in Sunday’s Copa America opener when they beat Jamaica 1-0.

“We are very positive,” said defender Rolf Feltscher at his country’s press conference. “We were positive before [Copa America], and we want to continue this way.”

Mexico v Jamaica, beIN Sports, 6am

Mexico striker Raul Jimenez has praised manager Juan Carlos Osorio’s attention to detail as they look to qualify from the group stages of the Copa America.

Benfica forward Jimenez believes Osorio gives the team the perfect information to damage their rivals.

Mexico are top of Group C after a 3-1 win over Uruguay on Sunday and another victory in California on Friday would almost certainly send them into the knockout stages.

Colombian Osorio has been in charge for eight months and Jimenez has been delighted with the manager’s impact.

“He always tries to find a way to try to do damage to the opponent,” Jimenez told a press conference. “He is very specific in his work, we have trained in a very different way for the game against Uruguay than Jamaica.

“He gives us the weak spots that [the opposition] may have and things that we also have to counter.

“For everyone, in every position, there is an intense fight at the training sessions. These are Osorio’s decisions, and whoever is better and fulfils his needs will take a spot in the starting line-up.”

Jamaica will be aiming to seek revenge for their 3-1 Gold Cup final defeat to Mexico, who are without the suspended Andres Guardado after his red card against Uruguay, last year.

Left-back Kemar Lawrence will miss the rest of the tournament after suffering a groin injury in Jamaica’s opening 1-0 defeat to Venezuela on Sunday.

"He is out, he has a groin injury," team doctor Derrick McDowell told The Jamaica Gleaner.

“It is something he has been carrying for a while. He aggravated the problem in training a little, but it got worse in the match.”

The Reggae Boyz are also waiting on Reading’s Garath McCleary (eye), Leicester City captain Wes Morgan and Giles Barnes (both bruising), but are definitely without the suspended Rodolph Austin after his red card against Venezuela.

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