The start. Uruguay have drawn both their World Cup games, taking two points from a group they expected to lead.
The absence. Their playmaker Giorgian de Arrascaeta and defender Ronald Araújo have missed both matches injured.
The number. De Arrascaeta scored seven of Uruguay’s twenty-two qualifying goals, close to a third of the team’s output from one man.
The shield. With Araújo anchoring the defence, Uruguay let in just twelve goals across eighteen qualifiers, one of the meanest records in South America.
The stake. They almost certainly must beat Spain on Friday, a side that has just put four past Saudi Arabia.
