"It is a sobering thought, but in previous World Cup qualification campaigns, Brazil would have needed to go through a playoff to secure their place in the tournament. With the expansion to 48 teams, they made it through relatively comfortably, but there's a lot of work ahead, and not much time in which to do it. Carlo Ancelotti only has friendlies in October, November and March before naming his squad. The arrival of the Italian manager has strengthened Brazil's defense, with just one goal -- a VAR-awarded penalty -- scored against them in the past four games."
"But with more wingers than they know what to do with, producing strikers that like to play through the middle has proven something of a headache. Going into the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Gabriel Jesus appeared to have the position sewn up. But he had a very disappointing tournament, which seemed to rob him of his confidence as a goalscorer, and that, combined with a run of injuries, has cast him to the sidelines."
Brazil qualified more easily after World Cup expansion to 48 teams, yet significant work remains with limited preparation time before squad selection. Carlo Ancelotti has only friendly matches in October, November and March to evaluate players before naming his squad. Defensive stability has improved markedly, conceding only one goal—a VAR-awarded penalty—across the last four games. The principal challenge is restoring attacking cohesion and selecting a dependable centre forward. A historical tradition of prolific strikers contrasts with a modern surplus of wingers and a dearth of natural central strikers. Recent injuries and poor form have complicated selection, while competition for the role, largely from the Premier League, is intensifying.
Read at ESPN.com
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