Brazil coach Dorival Junior has handed a Copa America debut to teenage sensation Endrick, who will replace the suspended Vinicius Junior in their crucial quarter-final clash against Uruguay on Saturday.
Vinicius is out after picking up too many yellow cards, but his future teammate Endrick is ready to step into the spotlight.
The 17-year-old has made substitute appearances in all three group games and is set to join Real Madrid alongside Vinicius next season.
Dorival sees this as an opportunity for Endrick to showcase his talent: “We’ve lost an important player, but gained another young talent hungry for a chance. This might be Endrick’s moment to shine.”
However, Dorival also clarifies that Endrick isn’t a traditional target striker: “He’s not a static number 9, he prefers to move around the pitch and make runs.”
This suggests a potentially different attacking approach for Brazil compared to when Vinicius plays.