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Topics: No Thiago Silva as Brazil face Panama in friendly

Brazil will finally play their first friendly match since Luiz Felipe Scolari picked his 23 men for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

Brazil’s players have been training together for a week now. Facing Panama will help them test their homogeneity ahead of tougher challenges. They will have to do so without defender Thiago Silva who is recovering from injury.

Scolari was in training in Rio de Janeiro when he told Fox Sports:

“He is a player that won't be traveling with us but instead will work on his own. Thiago is undergoing recovery work on his legs.

“We have two friendlies and it's better to use him when he is in better or perfect condition in the second match [against Serbia on Friday].”

Thiago Silva won't play

In the absence of captain Thiago Silva, Scolari may ask David Luiz to play alongside Bayern Munich’s Dante or Napoli’s Henrique in defence. The latter was a surprise inclusion in the Selecao’s World Cup squad. Should he get the chance to play against Panama, he will be keen to justify his inclusion and gain the trust of Brazilian supporters.

Brazil’s coach revealed in his own words that he will not “risk anything before the World Cup”. He is therefore expected to pick a second-choice team for Tuesday’s friendly match in Goiana.

Meanwhile, Panama are yet to play in a World Cup tournament. They qualified for the Hexagonal but missed out on tickets for Brazil as USA, Costa Rica and Honduras secured CONCACAF’s three automatic spots. Mexico finished third in the Fourth Round to book a play-off meeting with New Zealand. Panama finished in fourth place, above rock-bottom Jamaica.

Playing the 2014 FIFA World Cup hosts will offer Los Canaleros a feel of the tournament and experience points for the next CONCACAF World Cup qualifying campaign.