RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) — Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior was one of nine players added to Brazil’s national squad on Friday amid uncertainty about who will be available for the team’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile, Argentina and Peru.
The 21-year-old’s inclusion came five days after he scored an impressive brace after coming on as a substitute in Real Madrid’s 3-3 draw at Levante in La Liga.
Brazil head coach Tite also named uncapped pair Matheus Nunes (Sporting Lisbon) and Edenilson (Internacional) while recalling veterans Hulk (Atletico Mineiro) and Miranda (Sao Paulo).
“The best players who are performing at a high level are always being watched,” Tite told a press conference in which he singled out Hulk for particular praise.
“He is the type of player we are looking for and he’s earned this through the consistency of his performances.”
Since joining Atletico Mineiro in January after parting ways with Shanghai SIPG, Hulk has scored 19 goals and provided 11 assists in 41 matches across all competitions.
In addition, Tite called up goalkeepers Everson (Atletico Mineiro) and Santos (Athletico Paranaense), midfielder Gerson (Marseille) and forward Malcom (Zenit Saint Petersburg).
Brazil will meet Chile away on September 2 before home clashes against Argentina and Peru on September 5 and 9, respectively.
Spain’s La Liga and England’s Premier League have both said they will support clubs that refuse to release players for the fixtures because of health and quarantine concerns.
The prospect of Premier League players taking part in the qualifiers is considered less likely because of England’s strict quarantine rules for travelers arriving from South America.
Five-time World Champions Brazil currently lead the 10-team South American zone World Cup qualifying standings with six wins from as many matches.
The top four teams at the end of the qualifiers will earn a direct berth at football’s showpiece tournament in Qatar next year while the fifth-ranked side will advance to an intercontinental playoff.
