Dani Alves has not been called up to Brazil’s upcoming friendlies ahead of the World Cup, as Fábio Mahseredjian claims the player ‘need to invest in physical practice to get back to the level he had.’
The Brazilian figure saw a rocky transfer window, joining Liga MX side Pumas just in time for the 2022 Liga MX Apertura without partaking in the club’s preseason. Though he’s made several appearances for his new team, Brazil’s trainer Fábio Mahseredjian maintains Alves’ physical standards are not where they used to be.
“Dani landed in Mexico and, five days after his arrival, he already made his debut. So, he didn’t do a proper preseason. In addition, he had gastroenteritis that caused him to lose weight and, probably, muscle mass. That clearly affected his performance physically,” explained Mahseredjian.
“We talked to him when members of our staff were there [in Mexico] and just yesterday we talked to him about his need to invest in physical practice to get back to the level he had when he was here for the friendlies against Japan and South Korea. We know that he can do that but, at the moment, he is not in a position.”
The news comes as Pumas struggles in the Liga MX standings, falling to 15th place with just 13 points in 13 games. The team has suffered several embarrassing defeats this campaign, losing 5-1 to Santos Laguna and 3-0 to Club America. Despite his highly anticipated arrival, Alves has yet to make the expected impact at Pumas.
But with three months until the World Cup, the player still has time to turn things around.
