In great phase and physical form, Willian gains opportunity to show to Tite that can be titular
One of the stars of the current Premier League season, Chelsea midfielder Willian will this month have an opportunity to win back his place in the Brazil team.
The Seleccao meet Russia and Germany in March as the Brasil Global Tour returns to Europe and, with Neymar recovering from a foot operation, Brazil’s 12th man will be called back into action.
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Willian remains the only player to lose his place in Tite’s preferred XI since the coach’s debut in September 2016.
The 29-year-old had been arguably Brazil’s most consistent player under previous coach Dunga but struggled in the first few matches of Tite’s reign, with his sudden dip in form in some part down to the loss of his mother.
Willian has since impressed time and again when called upon for his country and will arrive in Moscow this month enjoying some of the best form of his career.
Tite appears to have long since settled on the starting line-up which will take to the filed for Brazil’s World Cup opener against Switzerland on June 17, however it is not inconceivable that Willian can reclaim his place on the right of the 4-1-4-1.
Coutinho – the man who took his place – is adapting to life at Barcelona and Tite still appears keen to test the former Liverpool man in central midfield, particularly against perceived weaker opposition.
Another plus for Willian, and others looking cement their places amongst the reserves, is that Brazil have a number of injury concerns. Tite and his staff took the decision to delay the announcement of this month’s squad by 10 days as they waited on updates on the likes of Marcelo, Marquinhos and Gabriel Jesus – all of whom have since returned to action for their clubs.
Starting central midfielder Renato Augusto, meanwhile, has only just returned to action with Beijing Guoan for the new Chinese Super League season. Though he worked tirelessly throughout the break in China to retain his physical fitness, Tite did admit in an interview with Globo that his situation was very different to the majority of his colleagues.
Tite, then, could use this month’s matches to shuffle his pack a little and conduct some final experiments with his otherwise established team ahead of the World Cup.
Brazil face Russia in Moscow on March 23 before facing Germany in Berlin on March 27.