Zenit St. Petersburg’s Douglas Santos Set to Miss Out on Brazil’s World Cup Squad

A Huge Blow to Brazil’s World Cup Hopes

FC Zenit Saint Petersburg and Brazil national team left-back Douglas Santos is set to miss out on the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar due to an ankle injury. The 28-year-old sustained the injury during Zenit’s 2-1 victory over FC Rostov in the Russian Premier League on Saturday.

Santos was initially named in Brazil’s 26-man squad for the World Cup. However, he was forced to withdraw due to the injury, which is expected to keep him out of action for several weeks.

Santos has been a key player for both Zenit and Brazil in recent years. He has made over 100 appearances for Zenit since joining the club in 2019, helping them win two Russian Premier League titles and a Russian Cup. He has also earned 12 caps for Brazil, making his debut in 2018.

Tite Calls Up Alex Sandro as Replacement

Brazil coach Tite has called up Juventus left-back Alex Sandro as Santos’ replacement in the squad. Sandro has been a regular for Juventus in recent seasons, helping them win two Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia titles.

Conclusion

Santos’ injury is a major blow to Brazil’s World Cup hopes. He is one of the team’s most experienced defenders, and his absence will be felt. Brazil will now be hoping that Sandro can step up and fill the void.