"We are not going to hide that they are important absences, we are not going to disguise it. They are important players, with experience within the team and that is always important in a qualification", commented on the absences of goalkeeper Fernando Muslera (due to injury), defender José María Giménez (who has just tested positive for COVID-19) and forward Edinson Cavani (by technical decision).
However, the player from Italian club Cagliari argued that the squad has "young players who already have a trajectory, experience in Europe and also in the national team with many games under their belt", like Fede Valverde, Nahitán Nández or Rodrigo Bentancur, who always come "eager" and that "sometimes makes up for a lot of other things in experience and names".
Godín made these statements at Carrasco International Airport, on the outskirts of Montevideo, where he arrived on a flight from Madrid along with the mentioned players, Maxi Gómez, Lucas Torreira, Ronald Araújo and Sebastián Coates.
About La Roja, led by Colombian Reinaldo Rueda, Godín indicated that it is "a great team, with great players, competitive players who have become accustomed to winning" and that "plays well and always goes out to win as well".
The defender recalled how "strange" it will be to play an international match in an empty Centenario Stadium.
"Now we will have to feel the support from outside, which in Uruguay they always make us feel and give us that positive energy to start the qualification well", he said.
For his part, the new Atlético de Madrid player, Lucas Torreira, also said that Chile will be "a difficult opponent".
"It will be a super complicated start. Hopefully we can start with a victory", indicated the midfielder, referring to the first match of the qualifiers.
The Uruguayan national team will face its second training session this afternoon, although coach Oscar Washington Tabárez has not been able to gather his entire squad until today, when there are only two days left for the match against Chile at the Centenario Stadium.