Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has admitted his surprise over the exclusion of Liverpool counterpart Alisson from the most recent Brazil squad.
The Reds’ number one was not called up by Ramon Menezes for his country’s upcoming friendly against Morocco, with teammates Bobby Firmino and Fabinho also omitted from the roster (as per ESPN).
The squad does have an experimental feel to it, with the interim coach drafting in a number of players from the under-20 squad which became South American champions in that age category last month.
Nonetheless, Ederson was perplexed to see his domestic rival and international teammate left out of the latest Selecao pick.
Speaking about Alisson to Globo Esporte, the 29-year-old said: “The first moment I saw the list I was surprised, but it is the coach’s decision. They are choices, I thought he would be on the list, but he wasn’t, I don’t know why. [Maybe] it’s a matter of opportunities for younger players.”
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If Menezes’ intention is to have a look at a variety of young players and bleed them into the senior setup with a soft launch in a friendly, then it’s somewhat understandable as to why he declined to call up the Liverpool stopper, who’s earned 61 caps and was first choice at the last two World Cups (Transfermarkt).
However, numerous players who also represented Brazil in the tournament in Qatar are in the squad to face Morocco, including Vinicius Junior, Antony, Casemiro, Lucas Paqueta, Eder Militao and Ederson himself. With that in mind, it seems harder to comprehend why Alisson wasn’t selected.
If the coach is picking players purely on form, then the decision to overlook the 30-year-old is baffling. The Reds’ number one has been immense all season, proving his worth with two sublime saves in our Champions League clash against Real Madrid last week.
He’d also earned five successive clean sheets in the Premier League prior to the recent defeat at Bournemouth, with Philip Billing’s winner the only goal he’s let in domestically since the second week of February (Transfermarkt).
Based on recent performances, Alisson’s status in the Brazil squad should be undisputed. It might be a blessing from a Liverpool perspective, though, as he’s been spared a journey to Morocco for the sake of a friendly.