Brazil duo to miss friendlies

Football | World Cup 2014

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari will be without experienced goalkeeper Julio Cesar and defender Thiago Silva for next month's friendlies against South Korea and Zambia.
Both men are injured for the games taking place against the Koreans in Seoul on October 12 and Zambia three days later in Beijing.
In Cesar's absence, Scolari's 23-man squad includes Atletico Mineiro goalkeeper Victor, who has made only a handful of appearances to date for the Selecao.


Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva also gets the nod for the first time since Scolari took over the reins ten months ago from Mano Menezes for a second spell at the helm.
Another who has not featured under the 2002 World Cup winner is Cruzeiro defender Dede, who has a dozen caps and has forced his way back into the reckoning.
"Dede is not new for us -- he has been playing well. Victor is new for us and we must weigh up Lucas Leiva," said Scolari.

"The group (making the eventual cut for the World Cup) is not yet closed," said Scolari, who in June led Brazil to the Confederations Cup title on home soil at the expense of world champions Spain.
Last week, he indicated several positions were up for grabs before he decides who is good enough to try and steer Brazil to a sixth world title.
Brazil squad:
Goalkeepers: Jefferson (Botafogo), Victor (Atletico Mineiro), Diego Cavalieri (Fluminense)
Defenders: Dede (Cruzeiro), Henrique (Palmeiras), David Luiz (Chelsea/ENG), Dante (Bayern Munich/GER), Daniel Alves (Barcelona/ESP), Marcelo (Real Madrid/ESP), Maicon (Roma/ITA), Maxwell (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA)
Midfielders: Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg/GER), Lucas Leiva (Liverpool/ENG), Hernanes (Lazio/ITA), Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk/UKR), Ramires (Chelsea/EG), Paulinho (Tottenham/ENG), Oscar (Chelsea/ENG)
Strikers: Hulk (Zenit/RUS), Lucas (Paris Saint Germain/FRA), Neymar (Barcelona/ESP), Jo (Atletico Mineiro), Alexandre Pato (Corinthians)