Suarez, Cavani to spearhead Uruguay`s challenge

Montevideo: Liverpool`s Luis Suarez and Napoli`s Edinson Cavani will lead a star-studded attack for Uruguay during this month`s Confederations Cup in Brazil.

The 23-man squad will also play the friendly against France in Montevideo Wednesday and a World Cup qualifier against Venezuela in Puerto Ordaz, June 11. La Celeste`s coach Oscar Tabarez Tuesday cut five names from his preliminary list announced last month. Those to miss out were Carlos Valdez (Penarol), Alejandro Silva (Olimpia), Matias Cabrera (Cagliari), Gonzalo Castro (Real Sociedad) and Christian Stuani (Espanyol). Uruguay will open their Confederations Cup campaign June 16 against Spain before matches against Nigeria and Tahiti in the group stage. Uruguay squad: Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Martin Silva (Olimpia), Juan Castillo (Danubio). Defenders: Andres Scotti (Nacional), Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica), Diego Lugano (Malaga), Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Coates (Liverpool), Martin Caceres (Juventus), Matias Aguirregaray (Penarol). Midfielders: Alvaro Gonzalez (Lazio), Alvaro Pereira and Walter Gargano (both Inter Milan), Egidio Arevalo-Rios (Palermo), Diego Perez (Bologna), Cristian Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid), Gaston Ramirez (Southampton), Nicolas Lodeiro (Botafogo), Sebastian Eguren (Libertad). Strikers: Luis Suarez (Liverpool), Edinson Cavani (Napoli), Diego Forlan (Internacional), Abel Hernandez (Palermo) IANS