Ancelotti bored with Vinicius, and Barcelona worried about Raphinha
The veteran Italian attempts to restore Brazil's balance
Carlo Ancelotti is hunting for answers. With the Seleção's performances and results in decline, the Brazil manager appears to be borrowing from Hansi Flick's work with Raphinha at Barcelona.
The plan is to deploy the Barcelona man as an out-and-out striker in the upcoming friendly against Australia, shelving the other forwards he called up in a bid to carry the "Raphinha effect" from the Blaugrana into the national side, according to the Catalan newspaper "Sport".
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Raphinha is flying. His 14 goals this season have made him the standout top scorer in La Liga during a surprising start to the campaign.
Barcelona handed him the out-and-out striker role, or a false nine, early in the season, and the Brazilian delivered astonishing attacking effectiveness. That convinced Ancelotti he could do the same job for the national team.
Beefing up the midfield with more power and creativity sits at the heart of Ancelotti's thinking, along with leaning on Raphinha's knack for finishing off attacks.
The former Real Madrid boss appears to have grown weary of Vinícius and Endrick, who have offered little since he took charge, and he wants fresh solutions. Raphinha has become his reference point, handed greater authority on the pitch, according to Sport.
Having inherited the number 10 shirt Neymar wore with Brazil, Raphinha will lead the side in a second friendly running against Australia.
Back at Barcelona, there are fears Ancelotti will once again overuse the player. Raphinha started and played the entire first friendly, which ended in a 1-1 draw, and he is expected to clock up big minutes in the second as well.
Physically, he is in good shape. Yet his time on international duty always brings fears of unnecessary risks, circumstances that have caused him serious injuries in the past.
