Carlo Ancelotti has named his Brazil squad for two friendlies during November's international break, the latest step in his preparations for the fixtures ahead. The selections raised more than one eyebrow. Raphinha earned a call-up despite his recent injury on national duty, while Vinicius Junior kept his place in spite of a dip in form and a suspension in Spain.
Several new faces made the cut, headlined by Cruzeiro's Jonathan Jesus, Corinthians' Andre Luiz, Shakhtar Donetsk pair Marlon Gomes and Alisson Santana, and Manchester City's Allan. The policy of freshening up the squad rolls on.
Raphinha brings the Ancelotti and Barcelona crisis back to the fore
Right at the top of the contentious selections sits Raphinha. The Barcelona winger picked up a muscle injury during the last international break, playing for Brazil against Australia in September.
Raphinha felt pain in his right thigh during the match, which Brazil won 4-2, and left the pitch at half-time. Tests later revealed muscle oedema in the back of the thigh, and he headed back to Barcelona to complete his treatment.
The injury sparked fury in Catalonia, not least because it struck an area where the player had suffered problems on previous trips with the Brazilian national team.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta did not hide his frustration. "This is news that worries us greatly," he said. "We are not happy with what happened, as the matter has recurred with other players, and this is the danger of the long international break periods."
Alfredo Martinez, the journalist known for his close coverage of Barcelona, took aim at how the player had been handled. Mocking Ancelotti, he said: "Another great service from Ancelotti to Real Madrid. They never learn."
Raphinha eased his way back into the Barcelona side after the injury, but only regained full fitness in time for the Clasico against Real Madrid on 25 October. Another long trip to Asia is exactly the sort of thing the Catalan club will be watching warily.
Vinicius present despite the dip in his form and the suspension
Vinicius Junior also features, and the Real Madrid star arrives in a difficult spell both for his form and off the back of a suspension in Spain.
The Spanish Federation's disciplinary committee handed Vinicius a four-match La Liga ban after his dismissal against Villarreal, punishing him for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair and then protesting to the referee following the red card.
He will miss Real Madrid's games against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia. The domestic ban, though, does not stop him turning out for his country during the international break.
Calling up Vinicius alongside Raphinha puts Ancelotti's choices firmly under the microscope. The circumstances could hardly be more different: Barcelona fret over a repeat of their winger's injury, while the criticism around Vinicius centres on his recent level.
The full squad:
Four goalkeepers made Brazil's squad: Al-Nassr's Bento, Torino's Lucas Perri and Coritiba's Pedro Morisco.
In defence, Ancelotti called up Arthur Dias, Carlos Augusto, Douglas Santos, Gabriel, Jair Cunha, Jonathan Jesus, Vanderson, Vitor Reis and Wesley.
Midfield features Andre Luiz, Andrey Santos, Bruno Guimaraes, Danilo Santos, Gabriel Bontempo, Joao Gomes and Marlon Gomes.
Up front, there's Alisson Santana, Allan, Endrick, Estevao, Raphinha, Rayan and Vinicius Junior.
Five new faces earned a call-up, Ancelotti again handing chances to young talent alongside the established names of Brazilian football.
Brazil will play two friendlies in Singapore in November, facing Japan on 14 November before meeting Singapore on the 17th, at the National Stadium in Singapore.
Both matches form part of Brazil's final get-together of 2026, with the rebuild continuing and a group of young players handed their opportunity.