Luiz warns of threat from ‘one of the best’ Watkins
Douglas Luiz has warned his Brazil teammates they will face “one of the best strikers” if Ollie Watkins gets the nod to lead the line for England this evening.
Brazil take on England at Wembley in a friendly which acts as preparation for both nations ahead of their major tournaments this summer, with Euro 2024 and the Copa America both to commence in June. England manager Gareth Southgate has fitness concerns over captain Harry Kane, who is nursing an ankle issue and may sit out the clash with Selecao.
If Kane is absent, Southgate could turn to Watkins after an excellent domestic campaign for Aston Villa, with the forward scoring 22 times. Watkins’ goals have pushed Villa into Champions League contention and into the Europa Conference League quarter-finals to impress club teammate Luiz.
“Yes I know the quality he has. He is an extraordinary striker,” Luiz said. “He doesn’t play the same role as me, of course. My goals are something I am managing to build each season.
“He is a forward that surprises
me a lot for his finishing and also for how much he helps us defend. He is one of the best strikers there is at the moment.”
Luiz has also played his role in Villa’s excellent season with 10 goals and paid tribute to Villa head coach Unai Emery.
The midfielder has struggled to nail down a starting role for Brazil since his 2019 debut, but will aim to catch the eye of interim boss Dorival Junior during this national camp. Luiz added: “I am very happy with my stats. As a central midfielder, it is important to score, provide assists and to defend, which is also my role. When Unai arrived, he spoke to me about this. He saw my quality and that I can play closer to the box but also defend. He helped me a lot.”