Tribal Football

Dorival Junior explains dropping Newcastle ace Guimaraes for huge Brazil game

Zack Oaten
Junior says Brazil want to "find a different midfield" as Guimaraes set to miss huge game
Junior says Brazil want to "find a different midfield" as Guimaraes set to miss huge gameAction Plus
Brazil boss Dorival Junior insists Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is still a very important player for the national side as he looks to switch things up in the middle.

Dorival has won just four of his ten games in charge of a team filled with world class talent which has sparked questions about his job in recent months as Brazil struggle to climb the qualifying table for the 2026 World Cup. 

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The manager is planning a tactical change primarily in midfield ahead of the side's clash with Chile on Friday night as Magpies playmaker Guimaraes is set to be dropped.

“Bruno Guimaraes is a very important player," Junior told Globo Esporte at his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with Chile on Thursday morning. “Leaving him out of the team (for this match) doesn’t mean he loses his importance, he knows that. 

“It’s just an attempt to find a different midfield… as is the case with Paqueta. He has already performed this role in other moments here in the national team, maybe we can repeat all of this. 

“Especially because we will have a player like Raphinha in the middle who will support the midfield. With this, we will strengthen our ability to recover the ball and reach the opponent’s goal a little more. 

“This does not mean that, in the match, Bruno cannot maintain his importance in the group. He was one of our best players, if not the best, in the Copa America.”