Brazil face Switzerland on Monday without their talisman Neymar, ruled out with an ankle injury sustained in Thursday’s 2-0 World Cup opener against Serbia, but with a host of young talents to replace him.
The five-time world champions will also be without ever-reliable full-back Danilo, who also picked up an ankle injury against the Serbs.
Their absence is a blow to Brazil’s bid to win a record sixth World Cup, but they will rely on their excellent generation of new talent to carry the match.
Neymar has been crucial for Brazil in the two World Cups he has played in before, in teams that lacked the star power of previous generations.
However, others have started to shine in European football of late, with the rise of youngsters such as Vinicius Jr. and Richarlison arguably the two best players in their impressive win against Serbia.
Coach Tite will have plenty of options available to replace Neymar in Switzerland and beyond as the player struggles to prepare for the knockout stages after ligament damage in his right ankle has troubled him for years.
Real Madrid prodigy Rodrigo will be the first option if Tite decides to use the same four-man system up front with Vinicius, Richarlison and Rafinha.
The versatile 21-year-old forward played in place of Neymar in Brazil’s three warm-up games in Turin in the week leading up to the World Cup.
Another option would be to pair Fred with fellow Manchester United player Casemiro to strengthen the midfield and boost West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta’s position as a playmaker.
However, the biggest question mark is over Danilo’s replacement, as 39-year-old veteran Dani Alves is the only right-back.
The former Barcelona man played his last game for Mexican side UNAM Pumas in September and suffered a knee injury which has troubled him ever since.
Tite trialled Real Madrid centre-back Eder Militao at full-back in their friendly against Ghana, which could be another option.
Brazil top Group G with three points and are level with the Swiss, who won their opening match against Cameroon 1-0.
