Paulinho named to Brazil squad for World Cup qualifiers; Thiago Silva omitted
Former Tottenham and current Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder Paulinho earned a surprise call-up to Brazil's national team for upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers in September, while Paris Saint-Germain duo Thiago Silva and David Luiz both missed out.
Brazil manager Tite released his first competitive 23-man squad Monday ahead of contests against Ecuador and Colombia on Sept. 1 and Sept. 6, respectively.
Paulinho hasn't played for the Selecao since the 2014 World Cup - a two-year hiatus during which the 28-year-old secured a big-money move to China.
Thiago Silva has endured his own year-long exile from international football, as former Brazil boss Dunga excluded the former AC Milan defender on a regular basis. This time, though, the 31-year-old was likely omitted because of a lingering hip problem.
There's no such downtime for Neymar, who will represent his country once again. The 24-year-old scored the penalty that clinched an elusive gold medal at Rio 2016, and reports in Spain indicate he will not return to Barcelona until after the international break.
Fellow Rio 2016 stars Gabriel (Gabigol) Barbosa and Gabriel Jesus will also join Neymar for the September qualifiers. There are seven gold medallists in the squad in total.
Below is the complete roster:
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Grohe, Weverton
Defenders: Gil, Marquinhos, Miranda, Caio, Dani Alves, Fagner, Filipe Luis, Marcelo
Midfielders: Casemiro, Giuliano, Lucas Lima, Paulinho, Coutinho, Carioca, R. Augusto, Willian
Forwards: Gabriel Barbosa, Gabriel Jesus, Neymar, Taison