Steven Gerrard does not know whether Luis Suarez will be available for the World Cup and nor does he care, with the England captain confident of beating Uruguay with or without his Liverpool team-mate leading the line.
The images of the 27-year-old being carted around in a wheelchair after undergoing keyhole surgery on his knee last week have inevitably led to questions over his participation in Brazil this summer.
Uruguay's team doctor remains cautiously optimistic about Suarez making the tournament, while Liverpool team-mates Jordan Henderson and Glen Johnson have done some investigative work as to the severity of the injury.
Both players have text the striker to see whether he will be fit for the Group D clash on June 19, although Gerrard has no such concerns about the in-form Liverpool striker.
"I don't know whether he is going to be available," the England captain said.
"I think the only people that know whether he is going to be available is Luis himself and the physio and doctors in their team.
"For me, it is not very important, it is something we can't control and is not my main focus. My main focus is to make sure all the England players are fit and available to play.
"Going into that game we're very confident that we can get the right result whether Luis is available or not."
England take on Uruguay in their second Group D match in Sao Paulo, five days after kicking-off their campaign against Italy in Manaus, deep in the heart of the Amazon.
The Three Lions have three friendly matches in preparation for the tournament, taking on Ecuador and Honduras in Miami after their only match on home soil against Peru on Friday.
A morale-boosting victory looks likely against the South Americans, ranked 42nd in the world, and Gerrard knows the importance of fuelling the positivity Prime Minister David Cameron mentioned on his visit to St George's Park on the eve of the game.
"It was good," Gerrard said of his visit. "He came in, he was very positive.
"He wished us all the best and said he was really proud of us and that the country are all excited and behind us.
"Now it is down to us to put in some good performances to make sure that support continues and hopefully we can make the Prime Minister and everybody in the country proud."
Gerrard and his Liverpool team-mates will likely have a major say on whether England succeed in Brazil this summer.
The Three Lions skipper is joined by four others Reds in the 23-man squad after a fine season in which the swashbuckling style of Brendan Rodgers' side has impressed onlookers, including Paul Scholes.
The former Manchester United and England midfielder believes Roy Hodgson's side must adopt Liverpool's style and that the Reds quintet should start against Italy.
"That makes me feel really proud, being a Liverpool man myself," Gerrard said.
"Paul Scholes knows his football and for him to say he was really happy to watch Liverpool play that way is really good for me and the rest of the Liverpool players.
"But we're England now and we're going to play the England way, which is whatever Roy Hodgson, Gary Neville and Ray Lewington want us to do.
"The players will carry out the instructions given by them."
Source: PA
