Any coach would like to have the Brazilian strikers in his teams: Ronaldo, Baptista, Robinho, Oliveira, Adriano, only to name a handful of them. Well, it is a coach’s dream, but not right now, since almost all of them have injury problems or, like Robinho, have important games with their club team (Robinho is likely to play against Barcelona with his team, Real Madrid, on the 19th of November).

Adriano seems the most likely to play, but he is not entirely fit, either, having a shoulder injury.

Since it is well known that Brazil coach, Parreira, has a hard approach toward his super stars, a refusal to play from Adriano might make him lose his place in the team.

It is a testament to the embarrassment of riches in Brazil’s forward ranks that, with three regulars sidelined, Parreira is still able to call on the services of a player who has managed to score with monotonous regularity during 2005. A lot could yet happen between now and when Brazil’s FIFA World Cup squad is finalized next May and Ricardo Oliveira for one is hopeful of returning from injury in January, but if his replacement Fred impresses in the Middle East, the Real Betis forward could face an uphill struggle in wresting the initiative away from his rival.

Read more on the problems Brazil have with their striker and a surprise possible solution here.