Sebastian Coates and Jose Maria Gimenez could replace the veteran, who will miss out because of a knee problem

Uruguay will be without captain Diego Lugano for their vital World Cup clash against England in Sao Paulo due to a knee injury.

Lugano completed 90 minutes as Oscar Tabarez's team went down to a shock 3-1 defeat at the hands of Costa Rica in their Group D opener last Saturday.

But the 33-year-old defender, who was released by West Brom at the end of last season, will not face Roy Hodgson's men due to soreness in the joint.

A statement on the Uruguay FA's official website confirmed Lugano's absence, but went on to explain the player is not expected to require treatment following the results of an MRI scan.

Lugano has been considered a lynchpin of his side's defence for over a decade and has accumulated close to 100 caps' worth of experience at international level, as well as a career spent playing for the likes of Fenerbahce, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.

Young Atletico Madrid defender Jose Maria Gimenez and Liverpool centre-back Sebastian Coates are amongst the options that Tabarez has at his disposal to replace Lugano, assuming he maintains the three-man defensive line utilised in the shock Costa Rica loss.

Uruguay face England, who also lost their first game to Italy, on Thursday at the Arena Corinthians and expect to be boosted by the return of Luis Suarez following the star forward's recovery from knee surgery.