Brazil could be without defender Thiago Silva against Paraguay in the quarterfinals of the Copa America on Sunday because of a right thigh muscle injury.
Thiago Silva missed Brazil's practice on Friday and doctors said it was unclear whether he would recover in time for the decisive match in La Plata.
Doctors said they will wait to see how the healing process progresses and reevaluate the AC Milan player on Saturday. The Brazilian football federation said the injury stems from natural fatigue after the three group matches.
If Thiago Silva is not able to play, coach Mano Menezes will have to choose between Benfica defender Luisao or Chelsea's David Luiz to play alongside veteran captain Lucio.
The 26-year-old Thiago Silva has been a regular starter since Menezes took over the national team after the World Cup last year. The coach used Thiago Silva and David Luiz in friendlies leading into the Copa America, but then brought Lucio back to add experience to the team, benching David Luiz.
Luisao hasn't played much under Menezes, but he has the experience of having played in the last two Copa Americas, both won by Brazil.
The possible change for Sunday's match could add even more pressure on the Brazilian defense, which has been criticized after below-average performances in the South American competition. Brazil allowed two goals in each of the last two matches after unusual defensive breakdowns and individual errors, including two by goalkeeper Julio Cesar against Ecuador on Wednesday.
"The defense hasn't been playing badly, we just allowed some goals because of mistakes, that happens in football, it's normal," Lucio said.
The coach likely won't have to make any other changes to the team after it improved significantly against Ecuador following the draws against Venezuela and Paraguay in the group stage. Menezes hasn't announced the official lineup, but could leave it unchanged for the first time in the tournament.
He hinted that Maicon will remain in the lineup after his impressive performance against Ecuador, when he replaced Daniel Alves on the right side of the defense. Daniel Alves made an error that cost one of Brazil's goals against Paraguay last week.
"It's up to Mano to decide who will be playing," Maicon said. "But if he decides to choose me, I hope I can play up to expectations and help again, just like I did against Ecuador."
Brazil was already without midfielder Sandro because of injury. The Tottenham player was dropped from the team earlier this week because of a left knee ailment.
Brazil is playing the Copa America with a squad mixed with veterans and young promising stars, including Paulo Henrique Ganso and Neymar, as Menezes works toward building a team for the 2014 World Cup at home.
No comments:
Post a Comment