Betfair Ambassador Rivaldo discusses Premier League players Philippe Coutinho and Alex Telles’ roles in the Brazil squad and what Bruno Guimaraes could bring to Newcastle…
Coutinho has started well with Aston Villa, so it seems that he is in a new phase of his career, with opportunities in the Premier League and also with Brazil.
Brazil will play two World Cup qualifiers this week but the team has already qualified for Qatar, where they are favourites, so both matches are opportunities for manager Tite to look at players that don’t play so often.
Tite will give players the chance to experience starting a match for their national team, since it’s different starting a game to coming on with a few minutes to play.
Losing to Ecuador on Thursday wouldn’t have consequences for Brazil, so this is the right moment to make some changes and analyse other players in a competitive match.
Coutinho must seize his chance
One of them will be Philippe Coutinho who continues to have Tite’s faith, despite the criticism the manager has received for picking the Aston Villa man. With Brazil missing Lucas Paquetá and Neymar, Coutinho could start against Ecuador.
In a World Cup year, Coutinho should be grateful that Tite remains confident about his capabilities and is prepared to face flack on his behalf.
Coutinho has started well with Aston Villa, so it seems that he is in a new phase of his career, with opportunities in the Premier League and also with the national team.
How things go for him from here will depend on his efforts to take advantage of those opportunities.
Coutinho will have his chance to reward all Tite’s confidence on the pitch. If he doesn’t convince at all, Tite might not call on Coutinho again.
This could be Coutinho’s moment of truth after tough moments in his career. Only with strong performances can the player justify Tite’s confidence for the World Cup.
From here to the end of the season, Coutinho must perform for Villa and Brazil.
Telles needs to convince for Brazil
Alex Telles has been called up by Tite, a consequence of his good form for Manchester United since Ralf Rangnick’s (pictured) arrival at the club.
The left-back is a very capable player who just needs to play regularly to prove his worth, so he comes at a good moment to the national team and can convince Tite in these next two matches.
He must shows his commitment in every training session and waiting for his opportunity to show what he can do in matches.
Telles’ call-up means that Tite has confidence in his qualities and a place in the World Cup squad is in sight, so it will depend on what he can achieve from now until November for United in the Premier League and Champions League.
Continental champions friendlies would be great for Argentina and Brazil
UEFA and CONMEBOL have reached an agreement for a friendly between continental champions Argentina and Italy. There’s also negotiations underway for match between runners-up Brazil and England. Both matches would take in the middle of the year.
It would be great to see the best South American nations facing tougher opposition from Europe. It would be good for the South Americans and leave them well-prepared for the World Cup.
It’s not as important for the European teams since they regularly face strong opponents in the Nations League or other competitions, but in Brazil’s case it would be so important to check the team’s strength a few months before the World Cup.
Newcastle move would be great for Guimarães
Brazilian defensive midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is set to sign for Newcastle for a significant amount and this will be a great chance for him to shine on English football.
He will be signing for a club that is having a renewed life and is looking to get back to the top in England – if they can avoid relegation this season – so this could be a great challenge for the Lyon player.
Source: Betfair Premier League
