Brazil will face Chile at 1am BST Friday, and manager Dorival Júnior has changed things up a little.
During the latest training session, the national team boss has made it clear who will be starting and hasn’t hid that from the media either.
There are five Premier League players in the starting XI. Those are Manchester City’s Ederson and Savinho, Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães, Nottingham Forest’s André and West Ham United’s Lucas Paquetá.
Globo Esporte report the full line up for the Chile match to be: Ederson, Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Abner; André and Lucas Paquetá; Savinho, Raphinha, Rodrygo and Igor Jesus.
That’s quite a changed team and whilst some decisions are fitness related, that’s not the case with everyone. Dorival Júnior is also trying out a new formation, following a series of disappointing matches for the Brazil national team.
The country isn’t at the level they’re usually expected to be and that’s seen a whole load of pressure placed on the manager’s shoulders.
Brazil are currently 5th in the South America qualifying group for the World Cup, and whilst that would see them through they don’t have a lot of breathing space.
Dorival Júnior will therefore be looking for a lot from his Premier League selections of players from Manchester City, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and West Ham.
