Ancelotti hopeful of Raphinha return as Brazil plots Haaland shutdown

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed optimism regarding Raphinha's potential return from injury for Sunday's World Cup last-16 match against Norway, while acknowledging the difficulty of replacing the injured Lucas Paqueta.

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Raphinha is progressing very well. He is still not at 100%, but he is available to be on the bench and to be able to play a few minutes or be useful at certain moments. We are very happy with this because Raphinha is a very, very important player for the team.

Raphinha has rejoined training after a two-week absence due to a hamstring injury sustained during Brazil's group stage victory over Haiti. Although not fit to start, Ancelotti indicated that the forward could feature from the bench against Norway, a team led by the formidable Erling Haaland. "Raphinha is progressing very well," Ancelotti told reporters. "He is still not at 100%, but he is available to be on the bench and to be able to play a few minutes or be useful at certain moments. We are very happy with this because Raphinha is a very, very important player for the team."

Brazil will be without midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who suffered a hamstring strain in their previous match against Japan. This absence forces Ancelotti to rethink his midfield strategy. "We don't have a player in the squad with Lucas Paqueta's quality, so we have to replace him with another player," Ancelotti stated. He plans to select a replacement based on the team's game plan, considering the opponent's strengths and what is most functional for their intended strategy.

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We don't have a player in the squad with Lucas Paqueta's quality, so we have to replace him with another player. The characteristics are different.

The potential return of Raphinha, alongside Neymar's availability, bolsters Brazil's attacking experience and creativity as they aim for a quarter-final spot. However, Norway presents a significant threat, primarily through Erling Haaland, whose pace and power have established him as one of the tournament's most feared forwards. "Everyone knows Haaland," Ancelotti remarked. "I don't have to explain to my defenders how Haaland plays. They know him better than I do because they have played against him many times."

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Everyone knows Haaland. I don't have to explain to my defenders how Haaland plays. They know him better than I do because they have played against him many times.

Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes emphasized the importance of limiting service to Haaland. "We have to try to prevent the ball from reaching him," Guimaraes said. "We will be attacking, but there always has to be someone glued to him so we don't give him space, because we know that with just one ball he can decide a match." Guimaraes anticipates Norway will target Brazil from set pieces and expects a potentially tense contest. "They will put a lot of balls into our box and, at every corner or free kick, they will give everything to try to score," he added. "We trained a lot during the week to neutralize their strengths. It is going to be a very difficult match." Ancelotti acknowledged the usual concerns associated with knockout football but expressed confidence in his players' readiness.

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We have to try to prevent the ball from reaching him. We will be attacking, but there always has to be someone glued to him so we don't give him space, because we know that with just one ball he can decide a match.