Gabriele Marcotti

And if you look at Brazil, there are issues not so much on the front end of the field, it's far more in terms of what they get out of the midfield and if they find consistency in the back line.

Now, you would assume that Marquinhos and Gabriel would play in the center back position and that would resolve that.

But that still doesn't address the fact that

on the right hand side, you don't have a right back that is really going to be a threat in the attack.

You don't have the same thing on the left hand side.

It puts a lot of pressure on the midfield to create.

And then you would say, well, that's where Neymar fits in.

But then that's one more player for Brazil that is really not going to give you work defensively.

And so then Carlo Ancelotti has to say,

Is this worthwhile?

Is the juice that I'm gonna get from Neymar worth the squeeze?

Is the circus of Neymar being part of this team, is it worthwhile for me to have around this team?

If Neymar is unable to show that he can be fit and 100% and ready to go ahead of the World Cup, the decision with Carlo Ancelotti will be very straightforward.

If Neymar plays, lights out from here till whenever Carlo Ancelotti has to make up his mind, then it's going to be really difficult to leave him out because every single news outlet in Brazil is asking exactly the same question.

Will Neymar be there?

If it were up to me, given what I know now, not what will happen in a couple of months, what I know now, I would say, no, thank you.

This is not a lifetime achievement award.

This is about who are the best players right now for my team.

Even we asked Babetto on the pre-game tonight because we did the friendly.

Yeah, we're all asking it.