Brazil coach rules two main stars out of March friendlies

In March of 2024, Brazil will face England in a friendly matchup between the two countries. The two teams’ meeting will occur on March 23 at Wembley Stadium.

The last time these two teams met was in 2017 when they played to a scoreless draw. Brazil had also already set this March as the date of their Bernabeu match against Spain. Additionally, on March 26, they will also face Spain in another titan clash.

Now, the Canarinha manager Dorival Junior has announced that the country’s two stars, Neymar and Alisson will miss the March internationals.

After injuring his hamstring, Alisson has been out for Liverpool’s last three matches. Before Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea, Jurgen Klopp stressed that the club would monitor the goalkeeper’s situation.

But, Dorival has made it clear that he will not be able to play him in March’s international matches. He has therefore ruled Alisson out of the clash.

“Some players who had slightly more serious injuries, such as Alisson, Matheus Cunha, Joao Pedro and even Neymar, are totally removed from any possibility at this moment,” Dorival told TNT Sports.

When will Alisson return?

In addition, he verified that Matheus Cunha of Wolves and Joao Pedro of Brighton will not be participating in the matches. But if Alisson doesn’t play in those games, he may potentially miss other crucial matches for Liverpool in other tournaments.

Just one day after the Carabao Cup final, Jurgen Klopp’s players will play Southampton in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Preceding the international break, they will play three Premier League matches against Everton, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester City.

Exactly when Alisson will be back is still up in the air. After the international break, Manchester United will face Brighton & Hove Albion, Sheffield United, and Manchester City in the first week. However, Liverpool might have to play without their starting goalie.

What did Dorival say about Neymar?

Meanwhile, as Neymar recovers from a major injury, Dorival still sees the Al-Hilal star as an integral part of his future plans. While playing for his country in October, 32-year-old Neymar tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee.

While Dorival ranks the star among the top three players in the world, he said last month that the Selecao must find a way to win without him. He then seemed to retract such remarks, however, as he maintained that the winger is still integral to his ambitions.

When asked about Neymar’s progress, Dorival informed: “It is one of the main projects. Neymar is a very important player. He is well aware of that. He is one of the greatest players in world football.

“Our hope is that he recovers physically. He has a place [in the squad] for everything he has accomplished in the national team, but he needs to be confident, calm, balanced and, above all, focused. He will be part of the process as long as he is fully recovered.”