Brazil waits on Neymar: Ancelotti's first XI trialled in the US | OneFootball

Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti tested an eleven in training this Wednesday in New Jersey with Lucas Paquetá as an attacking midfielder and Igor Thiago as center forward, flanked by Vinicius and Raphinha. Still without Neymar due to injury, the team trained behind open doors in front of around 200 fans.

The Italian coach tried out a lineup with five changes compared to the team that started in last Sunday’s 6-2 thrashing of Panama at the Maracanã, according to the Brazilian press.

Three of those changes were in defense: Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães replaced Bremer and Léo Pereira in central defense. At left back, Alex Sandro gave way to Douglas Santos. Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães remained in midfield, where Lucas Paquetá appeared as the playmaker, another of the new additions.

Further up front, Igor Thiago, a Brentford striker and one of the biggest breakout stars of last season in England, took the No. 9 role, with Vinícius Júnior and Raphinha on the wings. According to the Ge website, the Italian also experimented on the Columbia Park field with Rayan, a Bournemouth winger, as an alternative to Vini and Raphinha.

For his part, Ancelotti had already commented after the excellent performance by the substitutes against Panama, including Paquetá and Igor Thiago, that he was open to changing both his first-choice eleven and even his tactical setup.

Meanwhile, Neymar is recovering from a calf injury suffered after the coach announced the squad for the tournament. And Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli were the last to join the group after the Champions League final.

The team is preparing for its final warm-up friendly against Egypt on Saturday in Cleveland, and will then play the entire first phase of the 2026 World Cup on U.S. soil. Brazil will debut in Group C on June 13 against Morocco in New Jersey, then face Haiti on the 19th in Philadelphia and Scotland five days later in Miami.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.