Brazil coach Dunga won't risk injuries against Wales
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-09-05 10:14 LONDON - Brazil manager Dunga
has promised Europe's leading club coaches he will not risk any injuries to
players in the friendly international with Wales on Tuesday.
"I don't want to overwork players because they are not in the best physical
condition having just started their domestic seasons," said the former World Cup
winner.
Barcelona's Ronaldinho has been passed fit to face the Welsh at White Hart
Lane after missing Sunday's emphatic 3-0 friendly win over South American rivals
Argentina with a back injury.
But Brazil's new coach is aware of the concerns of club coaches a few weeks
into their domestic campaigns and has asked for more input from his medical
staff regarding team selection.
"There are 22 players in the squad and I have to decide what players are best
prepared," he told a news conference on Monday.
"I want the backroom staff to be part of the team and I want input from them
and the players when making my team selection.
"The medical staff know which players are physically prepared and which are
not. This is why I want their input. I hope to send players back to their own
clubs without injuries.
"I intend to give opportunities to all the new players but I have to see how
they feel tomorrow (Tuesday). It was a tough game against Argentina and they got
very excited, so I will have to make a final decision closer to this game."
Dunga also revealed he would like his team to play the way they do for their
clubs, albeit with some flexibility.
The 42-year-old, who was captain when Brazil won the World Cup in 1994, has
embarked on a rebuilding process after the team's disappointment at this year's
finals in Germany where they lost to France in the quarter-finals.
"I will try to get the players to play as close as possible to how they do
for their clubs," he said.
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