Carlo Ancelotti warns Brazil players ahead of Scotland clash full of high-quality 'fighters'

Carlo Ancelotti has warned his Brazil players that they ought to be cautious of the high-quality "fighters" in the Scotland squad.

It comes ahead of their clash in Miami tonight at 11pm, where the Seleção are set to face the Tartan Army in the final game of Group C.

A draw for either team could almost certainly seal automatic qualification to the knockouts, which, according to manager Steve Clark, would be "very special".

However, Ancelotti, who holds the record for most Champions League trophies as a manager, is keen not to overlook the Scots, stating that: "Easy games at the World Cup were finished a long time ago. We are ready to play a difficult game."

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He added: "Scotland has quality, they are fighters, they are well organised."

The Italian coach then proceeded to praise "experienced" key players in the squad, such as Scott McTominay, who burst onto the scene in Italy, winning the league with Napoli in his first season, and John McGinn, who scored the winning goal in Scotland's first match against Haiti.

Scotland have previously faced Brazil at the 1974, 1982, 1990 and 1998 finals.

They haven't yet managed to overcome the five-time World Cup-winning side, but their passionate supporters hope to see this script broken in Miami tonight.

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Many pundits argue this is possible, with Brazil not seeming to pose the same threat they used to.

A striking example of this can be seen in their now toothless attack: which has gone from three Ballon d'Or winners in recent years, such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, to Brentford's Igor Thiago, who has failed to impress thus far in a Brazil shirt.

TalkSport commentators such as Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist have even tipped the South Americans to be "underachievers" in their World Cup predictions before the tournament started.

Scotland on the other hand, only seem to have improved.

Their emphatic 4-2 win over Denmark to qualify for the World Cup had really raised hopes that they could go far in the tournament, with Scott McTominay pulling off a stunning bicycle kick within the first three minutes.

Ancelotti, in the build-up to the game, has also confirmed the return of Neymar Jr, saying: "He is available, he trained very well this week, he is fit and able and ready to play. We are very happy that he is back, he is a high-quality player.

"He can play half-time or the whole 90 minutes. He is very well, he worked very hard, so he is ready.

"His attitude is very good, he is in very good spirits, he's a good player and team-mate, he's very serious, and we want to put him back to play as soon as possible.

"He brings experience and knowledge; he is doing very well."

The return of the winger comes at a convenient time for Brazil, as Barcelona forward Raphinha will miss the game due to a hamstring injury sustained in the win over Haiti.

Alongside this fixture is Morocco vs Haiti, which will kick off at the same time in Atlanta, with the result of that game determining Scotland's final position in the group.

Depending on other results, a win for Scotland could see them top the group, which would - theoretically - secure an easier route through the knockout fixtures.

Scott McKenna, Kieran Tierney, and Aaron Hickey remain injury doubts for Clark's side, while Lewis Ferguson is expected to be key in the holding midfield role.

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