Brazil's next World Cup qualifying clash kicks off on Tuesday away to Colombia, and there will be several new faces in the Selecao line-up. The biggest changes come at the back. With Marcelo suspended and Miranda injured, Filipe Luis and Thiago Silva come in at left-back and centre-back respectively.
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Coach Tite, however, is preparing more alterations to his first XI. In the team's Sunday training session the trainer gave a glimpse of his intentions by placing Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho ahead of Casemiro, while Liverpool's Roberto Firmino came in for Gabriel Jesus.
Lucas Figueiredo/CBF/Divulgação
The open training session lasted just 25 minutes, but left the question open: how will Brazil take the field on Tuesday?
On the tactical side, everything remains the same. Brazil will continue to use a 4-1-4-1 that can switch to 4-3-3 when going forward. Nor is there too much difference in what the new players can offer the Selecao on the pitch. Fernandinho fulfils at City essentially the same tactical role Casemiro excels at for Real Madrid; likewise Firmino, who plays at Liverpool in a role very similar to Jesus' at the Etihad Stadium.
Neither the team's structure nor its personality will be radically altered, and observers can expect an essentially unchanged side against Colombia. The big test will be to see how Fernandinho and Firmino fare as Casemiro and Jesus' replacements. Right now there are no doubts: the Real Madrid and City stars are on top. But Brazil have the rare luxuy of shuffling their hand having already secured qualification.
The fight for World Cup places has already begun in the Selecao, and on Tuesday Firmino and Fernandinho have the chance to prove that they deserve a place on the plane for Russia, even if they do not make it as starters.
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