Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison, who was left out of Brazil’s starting team, may have had conflicting emotions when he was brought on against Uruguay last night.
The 26-year-old came off the bench in the first half due to Neymar’s knee injury and was unable to contribute much to help the Seleção in their 2-0 defeat.
Speaking to Globo Esporte, Richarlison expressed his concern for his teammate and shared his hopes for a full recovery. He said, “Let’s wait and see the test results. I cannot speak on his behalf. Let’s just pray for him to recover well and return as soon as possible.”
In addition to Neymar’s injury, Brazil has been struggling with a series of disappointing results, including a draw with Venezuela and the recent loss to Uruguay. Richarlison believes it will take some time for the team to adapt to Fernando Diniz’s system and encourages the players to focus on the upcoming games.
“We knew it would be a tough and competitive match. We lost several duels, especially for the second balls. The opposition won almost everything. Now, there’s no point in complaining. The game is over, and we lost. We need to learn from our mistakes. We conceded two goals from the opponents’ fullbacks, which is unacceptable. Diniz will address these issues to help us improve.”
Richarlison has been experiencing a goal drought for Brazil, not scoring since the World Cup. This resulted in him being benched in the last match, with Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus taking his place.
Having scored two goals and provided two assists in nine appearances for Tottenham this season, Richarlison aims to improve his performance as they face Fulham on Monday, with Ange Postecoglou’s side aiming to maintain their position at the top of the league table.
