Neymar is irreplaceable, says Tite

There is no way Brazil can replace Neymar, coach Tite warned ahead of friendlies against Russia and Germany.

Published : Mar 23, 2018 07:21 IST

Brazil coach Tite labelled Neymar "irreplaceable" as his team prepare for upcoming friendlies without the injured star.

Neymar, 26, is recovering from foot surgery after suffering the injury during Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 clash against Marseille in February.

While Neymar is expected to be available for the World Cup, Brazil face Russia on Friday and Germany four days later without the PSG star.

Tite said there was no way Neymar could be replaced, urging Juventus' Douglas Costa to simply play his own game.

"Neymar is irreplaceable," he said on Thursday.

"Douglas Costa cannot replace him. He will play like Douglas Costa."

Tite said he wanted his players, including Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro and Barcelona attacker Philippe Coutinho, to replicate what they produced at club level.

"I demand Casemiro play the same role he plays at his club, Real Madrid," he said.

"The same can be said of Coutinho. He already played at Liverpool as he plays with us. What I will not do is suppress his ambition."

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