Brazil head into Monday’s World Cup last-16 tie in opposition to South Korea preoccupied by the well being of the good Pele and with coach Tite questioning whether or not to recall the Selecao’s present quantity 10 Neymar after an ankle harm. Tite used his press convention previous to Friday’s last group sport in opposition to Cameroon to want Pele a speedy restoration after the all-time nice was admitted to hospital in Sao Paulo through the week. The three-time World Cup winner, now aged 82, has been present process a “re-evaluation” of the chemotherapy he had following surgical procedure to take away a colon tumour in September final yr.
Brazil followers additionally unfurled a banner with a get effectively quickly message for Pele forward of the Cameroon sport, which the Selecao misplaced 1-0 as they went right down to their first defeat within the group stage since 1998.
There can be no higher means for Brazil to pay tribute to their biggest ever participant than by happening to win a record-extending sixth World Cup on December 18, and the draw seems to have opened up favourably for them.
They topped their part regardless of scoring simply three objectives in three video games in Qatar, their worst exhibiting in entrance of aim within the group stage of a World Cup since 1978.
Brazil have a fearsome vary of attacking choices, even with Gabriel Jesus having gone residence injured, however they’ve scored simply as soon as since Neymar got here off with a sprained ankle of their opening 2-0 win over Serbia on November 24.
He watched the Cameroon sport from simply behind the Brazilian bench on the Lusail Stadium and on Saturday he was again coaching together with his teammates, elevating hopes he can be on the sphere in opposition to the Koreans.
“I really feel good, I knew that I might now,” he wrote on Instagram on Saturday with a reference to James Brown.
“Along with his return the entire workforce will enhance,” stated Richarlison, scorer of each objectives in opposition to Serbia, on Friday.
“I hope he comes again. Everybody noticed how a lot we missed him within the final two video games. I feel him coming again will make me higher.”
Kindest draw?
On paper Brazil might absolutely not have requested for a kinder draw at this stage than South Korea, who certified for the final 16 because of a last-gasp winner by Hwang Hee-chan in opposition to Portugal.
In the event that they win at Doha’s Stadium 974 they are going to advance to a quarter-final in opposition to Japan or Croatia, with a last-four showdown in opposition to nice rivals Argentina nonetheless on the playing cards.
Korea had been the second lowest-ranked facet to make the knockout stage and Paulo Bento’s facet have current expertise of how chastening an expertise it may be to tackle Brazil.
The groups met in a pleasant in Seoul in June and Brazil romped to a 5-1 victory with Neymar scoring two penalties.
“They’re an aggressive and robust workforce. We won’t afford to make errors,” warned Richarlison, who was additionally on track in that pleasant conflict.
Brazil are determined to rediscover the shape in entrance of aim that noticed them rating a outstanding 26 occasions of their seven video games previous the match, however apart from Neymar they’ve harm considerations in defence.
Alex Telles, who changed Alex Sandro at left-back in opposition to Cameroon, is out of the match with a knee harm.
Alex Sandro himself has been recovering from harm whereas, on the opposite facet, right-back Danilo might make his return from an ankle drawback.
“All going effectively, the expectation is that he might be accessible for the following match,” stated Rodrigo Lasmar, Brazil’s workforce physician who commonly seems earlier than the media to offer updates on the well being of the workforce’s stars.
But the truth is that whoever performs might be anticipated to be too sturdy for South Korea, even when in Son Heung-min the Asian upstarts have their very own celebrity attacker.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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