RIO DE JANEIRO: Luiz Felipe Scolari has grown tired of offering opportunities to media favourite Ronaldinho and dropped the veteran from Brazil’s squad for next month’s hosting of the Confederations Cup.

The 23 players are also the roster from which Scolari, rushed back into the job last November, will pick his teams for the pre-tournament friendlies against England and France.

The Brazil v England game in June 2 will mark the formal reopening of the Maracana stadium after redevelopment. It will host the final of the Confed Cup as well as the final of the World Cup next year.

Brazil play France in Porto Alegre on June 9 then open up the Confed Cup against Japan in the new Mane Garrincha National Stadium in Brasilia on June 15.

Another senior omitted from the squad was Real Madrid’s Kaka though this was only a minor surprise since he has never been a started in La Liga this season under Jose Mourinho. Just over half the squad – 12 players – are with European clubs.

The squad

Julio César (Queens Park Rangers, Eng), Jefferson (Botafogo), Diego Cavalieri (Fluminense);

Daniel Alves (Barcelona, Sp), Jean (Fluminense), Marcelo (Real Madrid, Sp), Filipe Luis (Atletico de Madrid, Sp);  Thiago Silva (PSG, Fr), Réver (Atletico Mineiro), David Luiz (Chelsea, Eng) , Dante (Bayern Munich, Ger);

Fernando (Grêmio), Hernanes (Lazio, It), Luiz Gustavo (Bayern, Ger), Paulinho (Corinthians), Jadson (Sao Paulo), Oscar (Chelsea, Eng), Lucas (PSG, Fr);

Hulk (Zenit, Rus), Bernard (Atletico Mineiro), Leandro Damião (Internacional), Fred (Fluminense),  Neymar (Santos).

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