With an expected absence of no less than six months due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury that requires surgery, European club-football legend Dani Alves, who has lifted 38 career trophies, will not be able to add the most precious one, even if Brazil does reach the sixth star in this summer’s World Cup.
This is seen as a major blow for Tite’s playing scheme, as the reputable tactician has failed to rotate the Paris Saint-Germain man often enough in order to have a backup plan in case the 35-year old was to pick a severe injury or even get himself suspended ahead of a vital knockout phase match.
There aren’t many viable options for the right-back role, but Brazil would have to settle with what’s available, as the primary candidates to fill the gap are Rafinha from Bayern Munich, Fagner from Corinthians, and Danilo from Manchester City, with the former probably being the favorite at this stage.
Having said that, here is my prediction for the full squad which the Brazil boss will reveal to the public in a few hours.
Goalkeepers:
Alisson (AS Roma)
Ederson (Manchester City)
Cassio (Corinthians)
Defenders:
Danilo (Manchester City), Fagner (Corinthians), Thiago Silva (PSG), Joao Miranda (Internazionale), Marquinhos (PSG), Pedro Geromel (Gremio), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Filipe Luis (Atlético Madrid).
Midfielders:
Casemiro (Real Madrid), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Fred (Shakhtar Donetsk), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan), Paulinho (Barcelona), Giuliano (Fenerbahçe).
Attackers:
Coutinho (Barcelona), Willian (Chelsea), Douglas Costa (Juventus), Neymar (PSG), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool).
It is worth mentioning that Marcelo, Casemiro, and Roberto Firmino will be involved in the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool in the Olympic stadium in Kyiv on the 26th of this month, which means that they will be late to join the national team’s training camp in England.
The FIFA World Cup remains the most prestigious tournament in world football, with the tournament’s final being the most-watched live event in all sports. Brazil is expected to have a good campaign on Russian soil and has the necessary tools to finally break a curse that has hunted the country since 2002.
