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Brazil plumps for youth in Copa America squad

Xinhua, May 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Brazil coach Dunga on Thursday named seven under-23 players in his squad for next month's centenary edition of the Copa America in the US.

As expected, Barcelona forward Neymar was left out after the Catalan outfit said they would not release him for both the Copa America and the Olympic Games.

The decision confirmed Neymar will be one of Brazil's three over-23 players at the Rio 2016 football tournament in August.

There was no place in the 23-man squad for Paris Saint-Germain central defender David Luiz, Real Madrid left-back Marcelo or Chelsea midfielder Oscar.

Luiz was dropped after a series of poor showings for Brazil while Marcelo's omission comes amid reports of a rift between the 27-year-old and Dunga.

Oscar has endured a frustrating season for Chelsea and was an unused substitute in Brazil's World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Paraguay in March.

The under 23 players named by Dunga are: goalkeeper Ederson (Benfica), centre-backs Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain) and Rodrigo Caio (Sao Paulo), right-back Fabinho (Monaco), left-back Douglas Santos (Atletico Mineiro), midfielder Rafinha Alcantara (Barcelona) and striker Gabriel (Santos).

Dunga said their inclusion was made with an eye on the Olympics, whose rules only allow for three players over the age of 23.

"There are players not in the squad who we already know about," Dunga told a press conference in Rio de Janeiro. "We have brought new players in to see how they respond."

The squad includes two China-based players: Beijing Guoan midfielder Renato Augusto and Shandong Luneng centre-back Gil.

Brazil will play a friendly against Panama in Denver on May 29 before opening their Copa America campaign against Ecuador in Pasadena, California, on June 4.

Brazil squad:

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Internacional), Diego Alves (Valencia), Ederson (Benfica).

Defenders: Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Fabinho (Monaco), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid), Douglas Santos (Atletico Mineiro), Miranda (Inter Milan), Gil (Shandong Luneng), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Rodrigo Caio (Sao Paulo).

Midfielders: Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Elias (Corinthians), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Rafinha (Barcelona), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool), Lucas Lima (Santos) and Willian (Chelsea).

Forwards: Douglas Costa (Bayern Munich), Hulk (Zenit), Ricardo Oliveira (Santos) and Gabriel (Santos) Endit