Report: Some fans are now wishing that ‘excellent’ Liverpool player was actually in their World Cup squad

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Brazilian fans are now wishing that they could call on Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, after injury to Gabriel Jesus.

Firmino was left out of Brazil’s final 26-man squad for the tournament, with Jesus taking his place. But with the Arsenal man now ruled out of the competition through injury, Globo report that fans are lamenting the decision not to bring Bobby.

The report carries several posts from angry fans, who have taken to social media to voice their displeasure.

Without the Liverpool forward in the squad, coach Tite is now looking a little shy on central options. Having already seen Neymar miss two games on the spin with an injury, Jesus’ issue looks to have been the final straw for these fans.

Brazil walking attacking tight rope without Bobby

The news of Jesus’ injury will no doubt be a source of frustration for Firmino. Had the Arsenal forward been injured a month ago, Bobby would have surely been taken in his place.

Instead, after featuring for just 81 minutes in the tournament, Jesus will play no further part.

Firmino will surely be feeling that, given the peripheral role Jesus ended up playing, he could have offered more.

Of course, that’s something that we’ll never know. But with Brazil considered one of the major favourites to win the tournament, this could now be a sliding-doors moment.

Without Neymar and Jesus, they’re now only left with Flamengo’s Pedro as an alternative to Richarlison up-front.

Pedro looks a decent player and is having a good season back home in Brazil. But he doesn’t have the big-game experience and nous that the ‘excellent’ Firmino could offer.

But Tite has already made his bed, there’s no changing things now. The coach reportedly agonised over the decision to leave Firmino out. It could now prove to have been a crucial call.

Brazil can at least console themselves in having landed on the ‘easier’ side of the draw at the World Cup. If they can get past South Korea on Monday, they’ll set up a tie with either Croatia or Japan. Even without a full arsenal to call on, they have a clear looking run to the semi-final.

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