- Title: Brazil include injured Casemiro in squad for Argentina clash
- Date: 21st October 2016
- Summary: VARIOUS OF TITE LEAVING / VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR THE BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL CONFEDERATION WITH OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL
- Embargoed: 5th November 2016 14:58
- Keywords: Brazil soccer football World Cup Lionel Messi Neymar Tite
- Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- City: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00254Y8M67
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Brazil have included Casemiro in their squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Peru even though the Real Madrid midfielder has not played since fracturing his leg in September.
Coach Tite said on Friday (October 21) they are hopeful the 24-year-old will be fit but have also included Sao Paulo's Rodrigo Caio as back-up for the games against Argentina in Belo Horizonte on November 10 and then in Lima against Peru five days later.
The Argentina game will be Brazil's first at the Mineirao stadium since the fateful 7-1 defeat by Germany in the World Cup semi-final two years ago, but Tite was confident the psychological scars have healed.
During a news conference on Friday, Tite said Barcelona's Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, would be a real challenge for the team.
"I think Messi is the best in the world today. And it also generates this whole spectacle with an important connotation and a challenge for us to be able to face Messi with all of the virtues and strengths he has," Messi said.
The former Corinthians coach has led Brazil to four consecutive victories since taking over in June and they now sit top of South America's 10-team qualifying group.
Argentina have won only one of their four qualifiers since Edgardo Bauza took over as boss on August 1 and they have slipped to fifth place in the standings after three games without a win.
"The objective is to qualify (for the World Cup). We are looking to qualify. The points are even. Now, with the media, everything involving Brazil and Argentina is different. It was the same when I was watching as a spectator and as coach it won't be any different it carries extra weight. Not as far as qualifying, but with everything surrounding the classic (between Argentina and Brazil)," Tite said.
The top four South American teams qualify automatically for Russia 2018 and the fifth place side goes into a playoff with a team from Oceania. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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