Doha: Brazilian midfielder Kaka expects a tough game against England in Qatar on Saturday and sees manager Fabio Capello as key to their recent development into one of the strongest teams in next year’s World Cup.
“I think the Capello characteristics are the important thing to understand. But the individual players have good characteristics to decide every game,” he told a press conference.
“England are a very tough team to play against,” he said ahead of the friendly, which is part of both sides’ preparations for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, in which Brazil will be one of the favourites.“It’s a great chance to play against one of the best teams in the world. We’re not thinking of winning 2-0 or 3-0. We just want to play well,” Kaka said.
He said Brazil was suffering, like England, from injuries and would not field their strongest side.
“A lot of the Brazilian players are injured. This may make the game not so rich.”
Frank Lampard was the latest England player to pull out of the squad after picking up an injury on Thursday.
Lampard joined a list of absentees that includes Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Aaron Lennon and David James, who are all out through injuries, except Cole who is playing his way back into the Chelsea side after an injury lay- off.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, November 14, 2009, 09:22