With the winter World Cup in Qatar just around the corner now, it looks like Brazil’s national team doctor will be paying Tottenham Hotspur a visit to check on the fitness of Richarlison ahead of the tournament.
The controversial decision to stage the 2022 World Cup not only in Qatar, but to also schedule the tournament right in the middle of the domestic season has come with its fair share of issues.
Not least of all, player fitness levels will come under close scrutiny ahead of the World Cup. With an intense fixture list leading up to the tournament, the medical teams for various national teams will be on high alert.
That’s certainly the case for Rodrigo Lasmar, the doctor for the Brazilian national team, who is planning to pay a ‘special visit’ to both Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham prior to the World Cup squads being finalised.
According to UOL, Lasmar will be taking a look at the condition of Spurs forward Richarlison and West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta to determine whether they are fit enough for the tournament.
With Brazil manager Tite set to name a 55-man provisional squad for the tournament today, Lasmar and Tite’s assistant César Sampaio will “personally verify” the condition of Richarlison in light of his recent calf injury.
Richarlison himself recently tweeted that the injury will only keep him out for two weeks and reports suggest the problem was ‘nothing serious’ (Bruno Andrade). Nevertheless, the Brazilian national team remain concerned (O Globo, via SportWitness).
Spurs Web Opinion
Not only do Spurs need Richarlison back to fitness as soon as possible to provide more attacking options, but I’m sure I’m not alone in being very excited to see Richarlison lead the line for Brazil at the World Cup.
Hopefully, the doctors are happy with what they see, and he gets the chance to show what he can do on the biggest stage.