Brazil have been dealt a major blow as their squad has been cut down to 24 players for the remainder of the tournament.
The Selecao fell to a late 1-0 defeat against Cameroon in their final group game as Tite fielded a much-changed XI, as Vincent Aboubakar nodded home in added time of the second half before being sent off for removing his shirt.
Vincent Aboubakar scored a stoppage time winner against Brazil and then got sent off for removing his top during his celebration 😅
The referee even apologised to him 🤣
A very on-brand end to what’s been a wild #FIFAWorldCup group stage 🙌#BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/Bv2WqTmZcI
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 2, 2022
It did not change Brazil’s fate, however, with Switzerland’s win over Serbia not being by enough goals to overtake the Selecao at the top of group.
It means that the South Americans will take on South Korea in the round of 16, while Switzerland will take on Portugal.
Double blow for Brazil
However, it came at a cost, as it has emerged that both Gabriel Jesus and Alex Telles have been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament as a result of injuries picked up in the final group game.
The Arsenal striker, who joined them from Manchester City in the summer, felt pain in his knee and was taken off as a precaution, while Telles was replaced before the hour mark with a seperate issue.
Gabriel Jesus will miss the rest of the World Cup, sources close to player and Brazil confirm. He has pain in his knee and won’t be able to be back during the competition. 🚨🇧🇷 #Qatar2022
Gabriel’s expected to return in January with Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/TSZxO9X4dY
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 3, 2022
In worse news for Arsenal, Jesus will be sidelined for a month with his knee injury, meaning that he will miss the resumption of the Premier League season, and will not be back until the beginning of January.
It will see him miss out on games against West Ham United and Brighton ahead of the New Year, denting Arsenal’s hopes of maintaining their 5 point lead atop the Premier League.
