With Manchester United completing the signing of the Brazilian midfielder Fred before the World Cup, the club’s fans had big expectations of watching him in action during the tournament.
But after getting injured in training, the player never had a chance to get on the pitch, leaving Russia without a single minute played.
Fred even trained normally with the team for most of the competition, but wasn’t given a chance to prove his fitness.
After being eliminated by Belgium in the quarter finals, national team manager Tite has explained the situation, saying Fred had never really recovered from the ankle injury.
But national team physiotherapist Bruno Maziotti has a different opinion. He was interviewed by ESPN Brasil this weekend, and claimed that Fred had been given the green light to play in the tournament since the group stage.
Explaining the recovery process, Maziotti said: “Fred clinically recovers and evolves in the physical issue, so he was released [by the medical department] so his athletic condition and clinical condition were perfect.”
Asked about when was Fred ready, he said: “I believe that at the start of the Cup there, in the second game against Costa Rica, and in the third game, he was in a condition of full competitiveness.”
So could Fred have made some difference to Brazil’s midfield after all? Considering Paulinho’s performance against Belgium, we’re pretty sure the new Manchester United signing could have helped.
