Menezes Announces Squad for Brazil Training Camp

Seleção coach Mano Menezes today divulged a list of players that will meet for a week-long training camp in Barcelona at the start of September. The group consists only of players based in Europe, and still lacks many of those who played a part in the World Cup.

There was a first senior call-up for Internazionale new boy Philippe Coutinho.

The full list is as follows;

Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur)
Diego Alves (Almería)

Daniel Alves (Barcelona)
Rafael da Silva (Manchester United)
Marcelo (Real Madrid)
André Santos (Fenerbahçe)
Alex (Chelsea)
Henrique (Racing Santander)
David Luíz (Benfica)
Thiago Silva (Milan)

Lucas (Liverpool)
Hernanes (Lazio)
Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur)
Ramires (Chelsea)
Carlos Éduardo (Hoffenheim)
Douglas Costa (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Fernandinho (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Philippe Coutinho (Internazionale)

André (Dynamo Kyiv)
Hulk (Porto)
Robinho (Manchester City)
Alexandre Pato (Milan)

Most striking, perhaps, is the inclusion of the Ukraine-based duo of Fernandinho and Douglas Costa. The latter is a skilful youngster who drew covetous glances from Manchester United during his time at Grêmio, and should prove quite a crowd-pleaser if he works his way into future squads. There is a first call-up too for Philippe Coutinho, the playmaker who has just joined Italian giants Inter from hometown club Vasco. The 18 year-old will surely benefit from the guidance of Menezes, who has a reputation for bringing out the best in young starlets (Lucas, Anderson, and Dentinho are good examples from his time in Brazilian club football). There were invites too for Almería's superb goalkeeper Diego Alves and Porto forward Hulk.

(Photo credit; Inter.it.)