Overview

• Brazil lost 4-2 to Japan after leading 2-0 at half-time, prompting Casemiro to call it a 'second-half blackout' by the team.
• Casemiro captained Brazil in both Asian friendlies and completed 90 minutes in each, adding significant travel and recovery demands.
• Local reporting suggests Ruben Amorim could leave Casemiro out against Liverpool due to his workload, framing it as a selection possibility rather than a certainty.
• Manuel Ugarte is viewed as the safer, like-for-like replacement given his fresher legs after missing international duty.
• Kobbie Mainoo is cited as the more adventurous alternative alongside Bruno Fernandes, though he has been sparingly used under Amorim.