While nations are being hit left and right with injuries as fixture pileup hits ahead of the World Cup, Brazil boss Tite will be able to breathe a sigh of relief as Richarlison will be available for the World Cup, at least according to Tottenham manager Antonio Conte. There was some concern as Richarlison exited Tottenham's 2-0 victory over his former club Everton on Saturday with a leg injury in the 52nd minute of the match, but Antonio Conte has downplayed that in his press conference ahead of a date with Manchester United on Wednesday.
"No, absolutely not. I can confirm this. The player is not risking to miss the World Cup. Absolutely not," Conte said when asked about Richarlison's availability. This news doesn't mean that Richarlison will be available for the United clash as he will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of his injury and what his recovery time will look like. Conte has already ruled Richarlison out of the midweek match which could see Spurs return to a 3-5-2 as Dejan Kulusevski's availability is also up in the air.
The World Cup news is quite a boon for Richarlison as he's locked in a battle with Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus to see who will lead the line in Qatar. Jesus' arrival has transformed Arsenal as he has five goals and five assists in all competitions but his impact goes much deeper than the numbers for the Gunners. Jesus is always dialed in, pressing to win the ball and orchestrate play while also offering a better presence in the air than would be expected from his 5'9" frame.
Richarlison has provided two goals and three assists in all competitions but has been playing as more of a winger for Spurs due to Harry Kane being locked in as the nine. Bringing a similar defensive acumen to the game as Jesus, Richarlison doesn't orchestrate play like the Arsenal man but in a team like Brazil, he doesn't need to as the talent around him can create their own space similarly to Heung-Min Son and Kane at Spurs.
Jesus has more caps for Brazil and was heavily involved in World Cup Qualifying but since March, it has been Richarlison who Tite has preferred. Scoring seven goals and assisting two more since March for Brazil, Richarlison may have already secured his spot as the starting forward in Qatar but Jesus will certainly push him while Roberto Firmino is also doing what he can to stay in contention as well.
While the injury news is positive that Richarlison's World Cup dream is still in play, missing time for Spurs could see Jesus as the fitter option when the World Cup rolls around. Tite historically hasn't been concerned with form when he prefers a player for a position but with matches coming quickly during the group stage, fitness will play a factor.
