Even though Manchester United midfielder Fred undoubtedly has many qualities as a footballer, it’s hard to think of him as a player who stands out for his physical strength.
Still, in a very interesting story from Globo Esporte today, it’s highlighted how the 29-year-old actually has an impressive fitness condition.
The outlet points out Fred is the lightest player in Brazil’s World Cup squad, weighing only 67kg. That makes the Manchester United player a ‘little engine’ in midfield.
Globo Esporte interviewed Brazil’s physiologist Guilherme Passos, who explained Fred’s best features and hailed the player’s conditions.
“He has an absurd work rate, very high,” said Guilherme Passos.
“Fred is a very mobile and typically endurance athlete. He’s not as fast as Martinelli or Rodrygo. He’s not a strength athlete like Richarlison. They are individual characteristics of others, but he has his own, which is very mobile and of high resistance,” said physical coach Fabio Mahseradjian.
Globo Esporte also highlights some concerns the national team have with him, since he loses 1-3kg in a single game. That’s why they give him some ‘light’ work after the matches.
“We pay a lot of attention to Fred regarding his recovery. Because he loses a lot of weight during the game precisely because of this great work rate. He is one of the main athletes that we have to rehydrate a lot after the game, increase the carbohydrate intake a lot to be able to recover well for the next match.”
Fred is one of the midfielders who, following Neymar’s injury, is fighting for a place in Brazil’s line-up. He was a starter in the match against Switzerland, but since he was booked, is unlikely to play versus Cameroon to avoid a suspension in the knock-out stage.
