Preview: Neymar set to star in South Korea friendly
The Barcelona man reportedly injured his hip during training after colliding with teammate Hernanes and was expected to be rested for the match against The Reds. However manager Luiz Felipe Scolari speaking to a press conference revealed that his star forward is fit to start in Saturday’s encounter.
"Neymar’s fully recovered. There will be no problem with him starting tomorrow," assured Scolari.
Scolari also claimed that he is willing to offer chances to other players who prove their worth and singled out Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva who was assured of opportunities in the first team.
"There will be enough opportunities for Lucas in the future. I'm still watching him. Not only Lucas but also the other players who can play if they prove that they deserve it. I always want to see 100 per cent from my players.”
The Brazilian tactician further hinted as to how his team might line-up during Friday’s encounter and revealed that he would prefer Zenit’s powerful forward Hulk over Chelsea’s tireless midfielder Ramires.
"Hulk is stronger in attack, but Ramires can add balance to a team. I prefer to play with Hulk as we can make a stronger start, but I can always change team and formation according to our opponents."
Brazil will be hoping to continue their formidable run having won eight of their last nine matches scoring 26 goals during the process. The most memorable of these wins was arguably the one against defending world and Europeans champions Spain who were at the receiving end of 3-0 mauling at the hands of the Samba giants.
This is in contrast to the form of their counterparts which has been woeful as of late. Hong Myung-Bo's men have just won a single match since defeating Uzbekistan 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier in June.
In their past seven matches The Red Devils have only managed a victory over minnows Haiti who they defeated 4-1 back in September. Having already qualified for the illustrious tournament next year, a friendly might be a good test for the Asian side to test their skills against the biggest players in the world, something they will most definitely have to do when they kick off their World Cup campaign next year.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, Live scores
Watch South Korea vs Brazil live on Saturday, October 12, 2013:
In Canada at 7:00 ET on beIN Sport Play Canada
In UK at 12:00 BST on BT Sport 1
In USA at 7:00 ET on beIN Sport Play
Fans in other parts of the world can watch the match live on their local channels. Those in Australia can watch the match live on ESPN2 Australia.
For complete details of match listings and live scores, visit the South Korea vs Brazil match page.
