That famous eyebrow of Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti will be curling upwards with concern at news of injuries to his key players ahead of this summer's FIFA World Cup.
Key defender Éder Militão of Real Madrid looks almost certain to miss out, and there is also the possible absence of Chelsea winger Estêvão, who went down with a worrying hamstring problem in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on April 18.
Ancelotti is a huge Estêvão fan. The youngster's first international start came in Ancelotti's debut match against Ecuador last June, and between September and November, the winger responded with five goals for Brazil -- a mark that Vinícius Júnior needed five years and some 30 games to reach. Estêvão was a likely starter for Brazil in the World Cup, so what happens now?
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The first move -- an Ancelotti speciality -- will be a refusal to hit the panic button. Is there a chance that the player might recover in time? And even if he cannot play in the group stage matches, might he be ready for the knockout stages? With 26 players in his squad, Ancelotti has enough space to take a chance.
There will, inevitably, be conflict between club and country over the best way to proceed. Chelsea wants the player to stay in London, whereas Brazil -- and Estêvão himself -- are looking at different options. The two sides may have agreed that surgery will not be necessary, but will Chelsea cede to Brazil's request that he should return home to continue his treatment?
There were similar strains in 2002 when neither Inter Milan nor Barcelona thought that Ronaldo and Rivaldo, respectively, were able to play in the World Cup. Brazil's physical preparation staff was able to get their hands on the players and ended up winning the whole thing. They would love to have a significant input into Estêvão's treatment, with optimism probably boosted by the player's age.
Back in 1958, the 17-year-old Pelé suffered a worrying injury in the build-up to the World Cup in Sweden. Discussions were held about dropping him from the squad. In the end, those in charge decided to give him a chance. His youth was an asset and, given the round-the-clock treatment, Pelé was ready to come in for the third match before going on to lead Brazil to the first of their five World Cup titles.
There is still hope, then, that Estêvão might be around for the quest to win title No. 6, but as always, there must clearly be a Plan B. An old pragmatist like Ancelotti would have it no other way.
The absence of one is always an opportunity for another. If Estêvão cannot recover in time, then Bournemouth teenager Rayan has a better chance of making the squad. Another left-footed right-winger, he made a good impression when he came off the bench against Croatia last month to make his debut.
Ahead of him in the pecking order, though, is Zenit St. Petersburg's Luiz Henrique, a hero of Botafogo's 2024 Copa Libertadores and Brazilian league double. But he has been especially effective for Brazil as an impact substitute, meaning it might be best to leave him on the bench and bring him on against tiring defenders.
So what are Ancelotti's other options? It appears there is no direct correlation between the possible absence of Estêvão and the potential recall of Neymar, who last played for Brazil, on the night he picked up a serious injury, back in October 2023.
Ancelotti has made it clear that he does not see Neymar as a winger. His wide players will be expected to track back and help out the defense, a task for which the 34-year-old Neymar is not built. But there could still be a rethink of the side.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Brazil's World Cup campaign is the plan to attack with a front four, which most had expected to be formed of Estêvão , Raphinha, Matheus Cunha and Vinícius Júnior. The obvious doubt here is one of balance. It is indeed an eye-catching collection of talent, but with a back four and four more up front, only two are left in the center of midfield.
Ancelotti is aware of the problem. Brazil set up that way in the last game of Dorival Junior, the previous coach, and were taken apart by a rampant Argentina. In an interview with ESPN in the middle of last year, Ancelotti said that he had seen the game, and as Brazil went down 4-1, he had been struck by the absence of balance between attack and defense.
His first move in his current job was to recall Casemiro to organize the midfield. But the man who will leave Manchester United at the end of the season is now 34 years old. True, he and his teammates formed a solid block in an impressive win late last year against a dangerous Senegal side, but that was in November in London.
The World Cup is played at the end of the season, and will almost certainly feature conditions of extreme heat. It is worth remembering that when Brazil won the 1994 World Cup in the United States, they sought to pack the midfield. Will Brazil really want to leave the center of the pitch so light this time round?
Should Estêvão not be fit in time, then, one possible solution would be to push Raphinha back out to his previous role on the right wing, thereby making space for an extra midfielder to come in alongside Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães.
Lucas Paquetá might be one candidate to fill the role, although the dynamic left-footed Danilo, once of Nottingham Forest, has been in storming form for Botafogo this year and seized his opportunity extremely well when he was called up for the March friendlies.
There could even be a chance for Neymar in this position if, in the limited time available, he can convince Ancelotti that he is worthy of a recall.
There is plenty, then, for Ancelotti to ponder as he plans Brazil's campaign. A combative midfielder in his playing days, an injury during the 1990 World Cup in his native Italy put a stop to his attempt to help his side lift the trophy. Now, all these years later, he has to cope with the consequences of injuries to others. And, as ever, he will raise a discreet eyebrow and work to get the best from the resources at his disposal.
