Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes has been forced to settle for a spot on the bench as Brazil begin their World Cup campaign. Tite's side are considered one of their favourites to lift the trophy, and face Serbia in their opening Group G fixture on Thursday night.
Guimaraes is featuring at his first tournament for his country, having made his senior debut in 2020. The 24-year-old was rewarded for his fine form in a black-and-white shirt with a place in Brazil's 26-man squad.
However, reports in the build-up to the opening Group G fixture indicated Guimaraes would not feature in the starting eleven. This has proven to be the case, with Manchester United star Casemiro and former Lyon team-mate Lucas Paqueta preferred in midfield.
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Guimaraes will likely still be confident of earning his ninth cap for his country against Serbia, albeit from the bench. The Magpies hero previously spoke of his confidence at forcing his way into Tite's starting eleven.
He told reporters: “I genuinely believe that I deserve it. Since I was at Athletico Paranaense, I’ve always had great seasons, always playing an important role. I believe that Newcastle has opened a huge door for me to play in the Premier League and allow me to do what I’m doing here.
“It’s genuinely very difficult to perform in the Premier League and I’ve been playing very well – it’s as if I’ve been here for a long time. With all the humility in the world, I believe that I deserve to be there, and I will do my best for my country.”
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