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Uruguay have been hit hard by an untimely injury. Two months before Los Teros have home advantage for July Internationals against France, Argentina, and Scotland, fly half Juan Andrés Zuccarino has been injured. He is unlikely to play again in 2024.
Uruguay will be without Zuccarino for the July Internationals. The 25-year-old suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He will undergo surgery at a yet to be determined date. Recovery from such an injury is upwards of eight months.
Zuccarino was injured playing for Peñarol against Selknam this past weekend. The 42nd minute incident saw him replaced by Ícaro Amarilla. This meant the first-choice Peñarol fly half was replacement by a 2023 Uruguay u20 player.
Amarilla is the official understudy to Zuccarino at Peñarol. Zuccarino has 3 test caps while Amarillo is uncapped. Despite not being selected for the World Cup, Zuccarino started in the warm-up match against Namibia. Uruguay were 26-18 winners.
Peñarol utility Ignacio Álvarez made his test debut in the match. Álvarez was covering Zuccarino as well as other positions. Álvarez is a rookie for Peñarol in Super Rugby Americas 2024. He has impressed at fullback.
The final rounds of the SRA season will require one, or both, of Álvarez and Amarilla to step-up. The two-time defending SRA champions are tied for fourth position with Selknam.
For Uruguay the injury to Zuccarino will most likely open a spot on the roster. New Head Coach Rodolfo Ambrosio will assemble a roster combining Peñarol names with players based abroad. The two World Cup fly halves are certainties for selection if fit.
If veteran Felipe Berchesi plays he will bring up 50 test caps. The French-based Berchesi debuts for Uruguay against Portugal in 2011. The USA based Felipe Etcheverry debuted against Russia in 2019. He has been playing fullback in recent rounds of Major League Rugby. This has come with Chilean Santiago Videla playing fly half.
