How Brazil should line up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
There's absolutely no doubt that Brazil are one of the strongest team heading towards the World Cup later this year. After a strong campaign put up by Tite's men during the qualifiers, it is rather clear as to who all would make it to the squad.
Lots of big names dominate Brazil's starting 11, but adjusting all these high-profile stars on the pitch at a time is a tremendous task.
This national side has players who are arguably the best in business in their respective positions. On that note, let's take a look at how the manager could line his players up in an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation:
Goalkeeper and Defenders
Ederson Moraes has been one of the best goalkeepers this season. The 24-year old has improved drastically under the guidance of Pep Guardiola. He is great with the ball at his feet and also has superb reflexes. Although he doesn't have too many caps under his name, it is almost sure that he is going to be the first choice keeper.
Alisson can be included in the squad as a backup choice for the spot between the sticks.
Brazil has no shortage of world-class defenders to fill in their back line. To start with, we have Marcelo who is expected to fill the left-back spot. He has been the best in his position for a long time now. Apart from his defensive skills, his attacking instinct is remarkable too.
The Real Madrid star is surely going to be one of the first names of the team list. On the right-hand side, they have another player who has been the best in that position since a couple of seasons, Dani Alves.
It won't be a surprise to see him occupy the right flank. At 33 years of age, he is still full of energy and is in no mood to show any signs of slowing down. The world will be hoping to see Alves score his trademark volley from outside the box too.
Felipe Luis, Alex Sandro and Danilo can be decent backup options for the full-back spots.
There is a lot of competition for the centre-back spots. Lots of big names pop up when you give it a thought, but Tite can play only 2 of them. One of them has to be Thiago Silva. Silva is tall, strong and technically very sound. He rarely puts a foot wrong and he is expected to lead his side too.
Selecting another centre-back is very tough. To provide some more physicality, the other spot is occupied by David Luiz. The Chelsea man has not been in good form this season, but it would be wise to make use of his experience and other capabilities. Luiz is strong in the air and is also known for his long-range free-kicks.
Marquinhos, Naldo and Miranda are other central defenders who can provide some squad depth.