Brazil forward Vinicius Jr will miss their World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru due to injury, the Brazilian FA (CBF) announced on Sunday. This makes him the fourth player to be replaced in the squad.
Vinicius sustained a neck injury during Real Madrid’s 2-0 home victory over Villarreal on Saturday, according to the club. Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira has been called up as his replacement, the CBF said in a statement.
Coach Dorival Jr faces mounting challenges as Brazil, currently fifth in CONMEBOL’s World Cup qualifying standings with 10 points from eight matches, prepare to play Chile in Santiago on October 10, followed by a home match against Peru in Brasilia five days later. The top six of the 10 teams qualify directly for the World Cup.
Dorival had already been forced to make changes, calling up Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Beraldo, Palmeiras’ Weverton, and Botafogo’s Alex Telles to replace injured players: Juventus’ Bremer, Liverpool’s Alisson, and Atletico Mineiro’s Guilherme Arana.
