Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham are all set to be impacted by Brazil's World Cup squad which is expected to be announced later today (Monday, November 7).
Stars such as Richarlison (Tottenham), Thiago Silva (Chelsea) and Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal) are all expected to be in Tite's 26-man group for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, and those choices, and omissions, will all play havoc for the respective club managers.
Not only will Antonio Conte, Mikel Arteta and Graham Potter be working with a massively depleted squad between November 13 and a host of differing return dates in December once the group stages and knockout stages are completed, they will also have to factor in fatigue and fitness of those that remain in Qatar.
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It is already understood that Arsenal have friendlies lined up in Dubai for the players that aren't at the World Cup whilst other Premier League clubs are expected to follow suit.
For London's top three sides Brazil's squad alone will throw up some key questions for the managers to answer. Arsenal are expected to lose Jesus as he is the main No.9 for his country, but may see stars Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli both remain at London Colney in a surprise omission. Both players have been key to the Gunners' assent on the top of the Premier League this season.
Chelsea meanwhile will almost certainly be without 38-year-old defender Silva. The former Paris Saint-Germain defender has been capped over 100 times already and has played at seven major international tournaments. Potter has already overburdened the centre-back this season due to injuries at the back, and his participation in Qatar will be a serious challenge for the former Brighton boss to overcome upon his return.
As for Tottenham, Richarlison has also been included in the expected squad named by Brazilian journalist Bruno Andrade. The forward has been missing for his club since injuring his calf against Everton but was reassured as being available for the World Cup by Conte last month. Having been out for over three weeks though, and with the intensity of the competition across the world, there is a risk for the Lilywhites with him being away.
Clubs in the Premier League and across the globe have already experienced a massive influx of pre-World Cup injuries with Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, N'Golo Kante, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka all experiencing injuries on top of the listed Brazil players in the months preceding November. Some of these players will be fit enough, some won't and there is almost certainly more to come in the final two matches before the break.
This all poses a question for the managers and how they chose to manage their remaining players as well as reintegrating those in Qatar upon the return to league action. The announcement of the Brazil squad and its knock-on effects is only the start.
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