Cavani, who was driving a truck owned by his son, was detained by police in the town of Salto, the officials said.
Although Tabarez said he and his squad have given the forward their full backing the coach would not confirm Cavani's place in the side to face the hosts on Wednesday.
"We have spoken with him to give him all our support but other very personal things can derive from that state he is in," Tabarez told reporters at a news conference at the National Stadium in Santiago.
"He is affected by it, as anyone in a similar situation would be. We'll let time pass so he can adapt to the situation," Tabarez added.
Cavani has not said whether he will remain with the squad or return home.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker was scheduled to train normally with his team mates on Tuesday and Tabarez said the forward's position would become clear later in the day.
"We are not playing the game today, we play tomorrow," Tabarez said. "From our team's point of view he is a player with bags of experience and... we will keep talking with him.
"I am confident he will put the pieces in their place so he can focus on the game."
Uruguay qualified as one of the best third-place teams in Group B behind Argentina and Paraguay.
Chile, meanwhile, were the outstanding team of the opening round, topping Group A with 10 goals, more than twice the total of any other team, after two wins and a draw.
The hosts are aiming to lift the Copa America for the first time having been runners-up on four occasions.
(Writing by Andrew Downie; editing by Ken Ferris)
Share
