Brazil have arrived in Qatar 2022 with high aspirations, aiming to live up to their reputation as one of the strongest candidates to win the FIFA World Cup. An injury crisis, however, will test their contender status.
While Neymar and Danilo recovered on time for the Round of 16 game againstSouth Korea, Brazil already know Alex Telles and Gabriel Jesus are ruled out for the remainder of the competition. On top of that, Alex Sandro has yet to recover from an ankle injury.
That forced Tite to improvise at the defense, with three out of the four wing-backs on his roster unavailable for this match. However, it’s fair to wonder why Dani Alves, who is a natural right-back, is not starting.
Why is Dani Alves not starting against South Korea
Though Dani Alves is 100% fit, Tite preferred to start Eder Militao atright-back, sending Danilo to the left. While the 39-year-old can still provide experience to the squad, his best days are far behind him.
On the other hand, Militao is in the best moment of his career. Besides, he has already played as right-back while Danilo was out. Will this decision pay off, or will Brazil have to call Alves’ number?Using this World Cup Predictor, you can see every potential outcome of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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