Ancelotti to Use Raphinha as No. 9 vs Australia

Carlo Ancelotti is set to play Raphinha as a centre-forward against Australia in Brisbane on Tuesday, borrowing the approach Hansi Flick has used with the same player at Barcelona.

Brazil laboured to a 1-1 draw with the Socceroos in Townsville last Friday, rescued only by a stoppage-time header from Rayan, and Ancelotti has been testing a reshaped side in training since. According to Globoesporte, via MARCA, and confirmed by Mundo Deportivo, the trial XI ran: Otavio; Vanderson, Jair Cunha, Gabriel Magalhaes, Mauro Junior; Danilo, Bruno Guimaraes, Gabriel Bontempo; Rayan, Vinicius and Raphinha, with Raphinha through the middle instead of Endrick.

"Yes, the team will change a little. Not much, but a little," Ancelotti said after the Townsville draw.

Raphinha was the only Brazil forward to play the full 90 minutes in that game, having started on the right of a front three with Estevao and Vinicius behind Endrick. Vinicius and Endrick were withdrawn in the 65th minute, Estevao in the 76th, and it was Raphinha who swung in the corner that Rayan turned home at the death. Brazilian press reports cited by Mundo Deportivo suggest only Raphinha, Vinicius and Arsenal's Bruno Guimaraes are certain of retaining their starting places for Brisbane.

The switch follows Raphinha's form at Barcelona, where Flick has used him as the focal point of the attack all season: 14 goals in eight appearances, 12 of them in eight La Liga matches and.

Ancelotti, whose contract with the Brazilian federation runs to 2030, took charge after Brazil's exit to Norway in the last 16 of the World Cup and has faced pressure to show improvement since. Brazil face Australia again in Brisbane on Tuesday before a further friendly against India in Kolkata on 3 October, a fixture in which Raphinha is also expected to be the main draw. Ancelotti dropped 15 players, including Neymar and Casemiro, when he named his first post-World Cup squad earlier this month; Raphinha was one of those recalled.

A second flat performance against Australia would sharpen questions about Ancelotti's rebuild. If Raphinha reproduces his Barcelona form through the middle, it may settle where Brazil's attack is built around him rather than Endrick heading into October's matches.