Sports
Wesley Ruled Out of World Cup as Brazil Call Up Ederson
The full-back suffered a muscle injury against Egypt, prompting a tactical rethink from Carlo Ancelotti.
Wesley suffered a left adductor injury and has been ruled out of the Brazil national team for the World Cup. To fill the vacancy, the coaching staff has called up Atalanta midfielder Ederson.
Wesley is out of the Brazilian national team for the upcoming World Cup. The former Flamengo full-back suffered an injury to the adductor muscle in his left thigh 16 minutes into the first half of the preparatory friendly against Egypt and was subsequently withdrawn from the squad. In his place, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced the call-up of 26-year-old Atalanta midfielder Ederson.
In the video above, Bernardo Ramos breaks down the direct impact of the withdrawal on the squad's structure and explains how the personnel change alters manager Carlo Ancelotti's tactical blueprint ahead of the tournament opener.
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Tactical impact at right-back
Wesley's departure profoundly alters the national team's attacking dynamics. At Roma, under Gian Piero Gasperini, the player had been operating as a left wing-back in a three-man defensive line. For Brazil, however, he was deployed as a right-back in a traditional back four. Following the injury, Flamengo's Danilo took over the position during the match against Egypt, coming on in the 17th minute.
According to Bernardo, Danilo's playing style requires immediate tactical adjustments. Unlike Wesley, who is an overlapping full-back who aggressively attacks space, Danilo holds his position and prioritizes defensive coverage. Consequently, the right flank will rely entirely on wide wingers to provide depth and stretch the pitch.
Opportunity for wingers and attacking setup
In this new scenario outlined by Bernardo, Luiz Henrique emerges as the primary beneficiary to start on the right wing. Another alternative for the role is Rayan, who plays a similar wide role for Bournemouth. With Danilo providing defensive balance on the right, the team will need wingers capable of driving to the byline.
Bernardo's projected starting lineup features Endrick leading the attack, Vini Júnior on the left flank, and Luiz Henrique on the right wing. In midfield, the trio would consist of Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, and Lucas Paquetá. At left-back, Alex Sandro could regain his starting spot following an underwhelming performance from Douglas Santos against Egypt, while Léo Pereira stands as an alternative to Gabriel Magalhães at center-back.
Midfield reinforcement and options for Ancelotti
The decision to call up Ederson—a right-footed midfielder who has drawn transfer interest from Manchester United as a potential long-term successor to Casemiro—points to a more crowded central midfield. At right-back, the squad will now rely on Danilo and Ibañez as available options.
Bernardo notes that Ancelotti's choice not to replace Wesley with a specialist right-back serves as a quiet acknowledgment of the limited options at the position. With alternatives such as Fabinho, Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Paquetá, and now Ederson, Brazil looks set to cement a 4-3-3 structure featuring three central midfielders and three forwards for their World Cup opener.
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