Brazil to call on their young guns to fill big shoes
Neymar and Danilo are both ruled out with injuries for clash against tricky Switzerland
Brazil will face Switzerland tonight (midnight, Hong Kong time) without their talisman Neymar, ruled out by an ankle injury suffered in their opening 2-0 win against Serbia last Thursday, but with a host of young talent to step in for him.
The five-time world champions will also be without everreliable full back Danilo, who also sustained an ankle injury against the Serbians.
Yet recently others have begun to shine in European football, with the rise of youngsters like Vinicius Jnr and Richarlison, arguably the two best players in their impressive win against Serbia.
Coach Tite will have plenty of options available to replace Neymar against Switzerland and thereafter, as the player fights to be fit for the knockout stages.
Real Madrid prodigy Rodrygo would be the first option if Tite decides to use the same system with four men up front alongside Vinicius, Richarlison and Raphinha.
However, the biggest question mark is regarding Danilo’s replacement, as 39-year-old veteran Dani Alves is the only right back available.
The former Barcelona man played his last game for Mexican side UNAM Pumas in September and sustained a knee injury that has been troubling him since.
Tite tested out Real Madrid centre back Eder Militao as a full back in their friendly match against Ghana, which could be another option.
Brazil are top of Group G on three points, level with the Swiss, who won their debut against Cameroon 1-0.
Cameroon and Serbia go into their Group G match (6pm. Hong Kong time) knowing that anything less than a victory could send them packing from the World Cup.
A loss for either team – combined with a draw between Brazil and Switzerland – would prematurely bring the curtains down on their campaign, with nothing to play for but pride in their final group game next week.
Cameroonian Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o, the last player to score a winner for the country in the World Cup 20 years ago, predicted his team would reach the final but a five-match winless run since September says otherwise.
This is a fairly young Cameroon team with little to no World Cup experience, however.
Although they did give a good account of themselves against the Swiss, coach Rigobert Song has promised improvement.
“The mistakes that were made [against Switzerland] will not be made again in the next game,” he said after the opening loss.
On the other hand, Serbia have a well-drilled unit that prevented Brazil from making inroads in the first half before they were carved open in the second following a drop in intensity.
“The impression is that we started the second half with too much respect for the Brazilian national team and that cost us a positive result,” Serbia’s national team director Stevan Stojanovic said.
“Somehow we raised our hands prematurely in surrender, which in the past was not characteristic of this generation.”
Somehow we raised our hands prematurely in surrender
STEVAN STOJANOVIC,
SERBIA’S NATIONAL TEAM DIRECTOR