Brazil will be without a key part of their attack for their Wednesday match against Scotland in Miami Gardens, Fla., as Raphinha will be sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
The Selecao could see the return of another star, though, as Neymar has recovered from a calf injury and is available to play the entire game if needed, according to Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Raphinha, 29, exited in the 40th minute of Brazil’s most recent match, a 3-0 victory over Haiti on Friday.
Asked who might fill in for the Barcelona winger, Ancelotti said Tuesday, “We’re thinking of nothing else but playing a good match with the best possible lineup. The same goes for the forwards. We have a clear idea of who will replace Raphinha. There’s no point worrying about (yellow) cards.”
Rayan, a 19-year-old Bournemouth forward who made his Brazilian national team debut earlier this year, replaced Raphinha against Haiti. Ancelotti praised Rayan’s performance in that contest but stopped short of saying Rayan would start vs. Scotland.
As for Neymar, the 34-year-old veteran is prepared to appear in a fourth World Cup, looking to add to his totals of eight World Cup goals and four assists.
“He is available, he trained very well this week,” Ancelotti said. “He is fit and able and ready to play. We are very happy he is back. He is a high-quality player.
“He can play from halftime or the whole 90 minutes. He is very well, he worked very hard, so he is ready. His attitude is very good, he’s in good spirits, he’s a good player, a good teammate. He’s very serious and we want to get him back to playing as soon as possible.
“I’m very happy. He brings experience, knowledge — he is doing very well.”
Brazil (1-0-1, 4 points) need just a draw against Scotland (1-1-0, 3 points) to clinch a spot in the round of 32. Morocco (1-0-1, 4 points) face Haiti on Wednesday in Atlanta in the other match as Group C play concludes.
–Field Level Media
