Preview: Scolari set to field a strong squad despite Hulk and Dani Alves injuries
Despite losing out on the services of Hulk and Dani Alves, Brazil manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari has the luxury to field a very strong starting eleven when the Socceroos come calling from down under.
Scolari had been very keen on keeping the same starting eleven that performed ever so well at the Confederations Cup earlier this summer but still has so much depth in his squad that he can field an equally strong second-string team.
As they are set to take on Portugal in another international friendly, the Selecao manager will be looking to experiment with his line-up against the Aussies. However, the South American giants are still expected to dominate proceedings in the upcoming match.
The year 2013 has been a very fine one for the Brazilians who have lost just twice which included a 1-0 defeat against Switzerland.
One look at the squad gives the idea that the current Australian side will not be very confident when they take on Brazil. Young Robbie Kruse, who has been billed as the future of Australian football, is yet to show his true potential despite a breakout last season which earned him a move to Bayer Leverkusen.
Lucas Neil can no more turn back the clock of his Blackburn days but has finally managed to find a club in J-League giants Omiya Ardija. Mark Schawrzer, the evergreen presence in the yellow jersey, will not be a regular at club level this season following his move to Chelsea and the same can be said of Mitchell Langerak (Borussia Dortmund), Brad Jones (Liverpool) and Adam Federici.
Although a move to Club Brugge will help Matthew Ryan gain valuable experience in Europe, the youngster has so far kept only one clean sheet in the Belgian Jupiler League.
After a torrid time with Aston Villa last season, Brett Holman is now yet another member of the Australian contingent plying its trade in the Middle East.
However, two players who have impressed a lot this season, could help Australia provide stiff resistance to the kings of Samba. Young Tommy Oar has been one of the few good things FC Utrecht can talk about following a poor start to the new Eredivisie season while Mile Jedinak has proven himself to be a Premier League quality defender at Crystal Palace.
Tim Cahill has featured regularly for New York Red Bulls in the MLS but the former Everton man is going to miss the upcoming encounter due to injury.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, Live scores
Watch Brazil vs Australia live on Saturday, September 7, 2013:
In USA at 15:15 ET on beIN Sport USA, beIN Sport Play, beIN Sport en Español
In UK at 20:15 BST on BT Sport 1
Fans in other parts of the world can watch the match live on their local channels. Those in Australia can watch their stars take on the Samba giants live on Fox Sports 1 Australia.
For complete details of match listing and live scores please visit the Brazil vs Australia match page.
