Edinson Cavani on Bench vs. France in World Cup Quarter-Final with Injury

Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani was only fit enough to be named among the substitutes for his team's FIFA World Cup quarter-final with France on Friday.

News of the South Americans' XI came via their official Twitter account, with the Paris Saint-Germain man not completely ruled out of the contest:

Cavani had a bittersweet match against Portugal in the first knockout stage of the competition. The forward netted a goal in each half to send Uruguay to a 2-1 win, although he hobbled off late in the game with a hamstring problem.

It means there's a La Liga duo up top for Uruguay against Les Bleus, as Barcelona's Luis Suarez will lead the line alongside Girona star Cristhian Stuani.

Cavani took some time to get going in this World Cup, although in wins over Russia and Uruguay, there were clear signs he was at his best.

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The 31-year-old netted three times in those two games, but he brings much more to the team than just goals. Cavani is physical, dynamic and energetic, and he's also willing to put a shift in to help his team's cause.

While the striker is a big miss from the start in this encounter, these statistics show that Uruguay have been able to cope without him previously:

This stage is a huge one, though, and while Stuani was excellent for Girona in the Spanish top flight last season, grabbing 21 goals in 33 La Liga appearances, it would be a major ask for him to provide the same multifaceted presence the PSG man does.

Uruguay will be hopeful of making it into the semi-finals of the competition nevertheless, although France are talented opponents and possess individual stars who can change a game in an instant. 

The winners of this quarter-final will take on either Brazil or Belgium, who meet later in the day, for a spot in the showpiece final next Sunday.