Everton star Richarlison has told how a prank around the latest international break from Carlo Ancelotti nearly reduced him to tears.
The Blues star was named in Tite's Selecao squad for this week's fixtures as they look to build on their opening CONMEBOL region group victories over Bolivia and Peru.
Joining him in Tite’s squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay was Blues team-mate Allan.
The 29-year-old was called-up as cover for Fabinho who picked up a hamstring injury on Champions League duty for Liverpool.
But it was a comment made by Ancelotti to Richarlison before the squad was announced that left the winger sad and almost in tears.
“I don’t know if Ancelotti was pranking me or not, but he told me he was going to call coach Tite to release me,” he told a Brazil press conference.
“Man, I was very sad. Almost cried during the training session because being here is my joy. I tell my friends I like the national team more than I like myself.”
Since arriving at Goodison Park in the summer of 2018, Richarlison has scored 33 goals and claimed eight assists in 86 appearances, but has missed his side's last three Premier League games through suspension.
The former Watford man was shown a straight red card for a wild and rash challenge on Thiago Alcantara in the closing minutes of the Merseyside derby.
And his club boss admitted before his side’s clash with Manchester United that it is "impossible" to find a like-for-like replacement for him.
"We have 22 players and we have covered all the positions. Of course we have to... it is impossible to replace Richarlison,” the Italian said.
"There is no player in the world like Richarlison. So we have to replace him with another player with different quality.
"We have to change a little bit our style of play without Richarlison, but the defeat was not because Richarlison was not there. It was because we did not play well. Simple.”
