Luis Suarez: Barcelona striker caught short in first appearance for Uruguay since World Cup bite in 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia

Suarez created Uruguay's only goal before disappearing down the tunnel mid-game to go to the toilet

Luis Suarez (Getty Images)

Luis Suarez was so excited to be back on a football pitch that he couldn’t contain himself, as the Barcelona striker had to nip off to the toilet during his first international match for Uruguay since biting Giorgio Chiellini in the World Cup.

Suarez was handed a four-month suspension from all football matters as well as a nine-match international ban for biting the Italian defender during Uruguay’s group stage victory during last summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport eventually reduced his ban to “official matches only” as well as allowing him to train, and it meant that the 27-year-old would be available for Uruguay’s international friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Oman this month.

Suarez was subsequently named in the starting line-up for Uruguay, and he went on to create the first goal for his country with a right-footed volley that cannoned back off the post and into the back of the net off Saudi right-back Hassan Muath Fallatah for an own-goal.

You would expect a team with the calibre of Uruguay’s to easily overcome Saudi Arabia, but they were pegged back by substitute Naif Hazazi to end the match 1-1.

However, the biggest – or rather funniest – talking point was when the £75m striker asked permission from the referee to leave the pitch and run down the tunnel as he desperately needed the toilet.

Suarez was making his first appearance for Uruguay since the World Cup group stages (Getty Images)

But despite being caught short, Suarez was delighted to be back on the pitch after an agonising few months out.

“Happy to wear this shirt again which gives me so much joy. You never lose your love for the shirt. Uruguay!” he was quoted as saying after the match.

Suarez should have extended Uruguay’s lead in the 66th minute when he wasted a chance that you would have expected him to tuck away with ease had he been match fit. Picking up a loose back-pass, Suarez was one-on-one with Saudi goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah, but he was slow and sluggish in his attempt to round the goalkeeper and Abdullah was able to get a hand to the ball to prevent the goal.

Suarez's volley cannoned off the post and into the net off Saudi Arabia defender Hassan Muath Fallatah (Getty Images)

Suarez will have another chance to sharpen up when Uruguay face Oman on Monday night, and he’ll need to make the most of every opportunity as his Barcelona debut could come in the first El Clasico of the season, as his ban expires the day before the Catalans face Real Madrid on 26 October.