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Furious Brazil boss blasts ‘evil lies’

Tite fumes at accusation that he played Jesus with an injury as Neymar makes his comeback

DOMINIC KING

THE name of Gabriel Jesus was put on the agenda and, in a flash, the mood of Brazil head coach Tite changed. He thanked the reporter for her question and grasped the chance to speak.

In the days that have followed a 1-0 defeat by Cameroon, one which has had Brazilians beginning to fret about their potential to rule the world, a story emerged in South America that Tite had played the Arsenal striker at the Lusail Stadium on Friday aware that he had a knee issue.

Jesus was one of nine changes but the damage he sustained during the match was so significant there are now fears he could be out for as long as three months.

The £ 45million signing, so important for Mikel Arteta’s side, remains in Qatar and Brazil remain in contact with Arsenal.

It is too early to say whether he will require surgery but what is certain is that his World Cup is over and he won’t be involved when Arsenal, who have flown out to Dubai for a training camp with a squad that does not include Ben White, resume the Premier League campaign on Boxing Day.

Without Jesus, Eddie Nketiah is the only recognised No 9 in Arsenal’s squad and a long-term injury to Jesus could force a rethink to their transfer plans next month. The focus had been on adding a winger, and possibly a central midfielder, to their squad.

The idea that Tite had selected Jesus while he was carrying a problem left the Brazil manager enraged. As he began to speak, he jabbed his finger into the desk and aimed his fury at the source of a story that he insisted was total fabrication. ‘We do not like hearing lies, evil lies,’ Tite, whose side face South Korea this evening, thundered.

‘We have no time for it. Does it mean we are people who play for victory at the peril of our players? I don’t understand it. The liars, the haters out there — they should go and do something else.

‘They must stop giving out this fake news. Arsenal have a great medical department. We have a great medical department. We are responsible people and we take great responsibility with the health of our players. We never, ever take risks.

‘It is a shame what has happened to Gabriel. We feel so very sorry for him. I saw him talking with Neymar, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva about what happened. He is in pain because he can’t play but we are trying to take it away from him in an emotional sense by supporting him.’

Thiago Silva, referring also to left back Alex Telles, another who suffered a knee injury, said: ‘It was very painful to see our colleagues injured. It is sad not to be able to play with them. But we needed to pursue our objectives.’

Alongside Tite sat his assistant Cesar Sampaio, who explained that Tite visited Arsenal before the World Cup and he stressed that ‘at no point was anything mentioned’ about Jesus having an injury.

‘Any injury is difficult in a player’s career,’ Sampaio added: ‘But we would never gamble with their health.’

Still, there was relief of sorts that Neymar’s fitness has improved and it now seems likely that he will start at Stadium 974. The Brazil medical team have been working around the clock on the Paris Saint- Germain superstar to get him ready.

‘I do not share any information that is not true,’ said Tite. ‘When I do not want to say something, I do not answer the question.

‘So I will say this: he will practise and if he is OK, he will be playing. But we do not put anyone’s health at risk. It all depends on the medical department.’

Tite was certainly emotional and particularly so when asked about the condition of Pele, amid reports that the Brazil legend’s health scare had become something significantly more serious and he was now having palliative care.

‘I apologise — I should have started this press conference speaking about Pele,’ said Tite. ‘Please excuse me to give me my answer, as this is a very emotional time. The only time in my life I have ever been shaking when I met someone was when I met Pele.

‘It was before the 2018 World Cup, we were with all the other coaches. Then I was told I could go and see Pele and I started shaking, my heartbeat increased. I was going to have the opportunity to meet Pele! What an honour!

‘ Pele is the human representation of us.

‘It is hard for us today and his situation is something that all of us feel. This is a difficult moment.’

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BOTH of these sides are slow starters. Brazil have failed to score in the first half of any of their last five World Cup games, while 11 of the last 12 South Korea World Cup goals have been in second halves.

WORLD CUP 2022

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2022-12-05T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-12-05T08:00:00.0000000Z

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