Manchester United New Boy Fred Set to Miss Brazil's Opening World Cup Game After Training Injury

Manchester United's new midfield signing Fred is set to miss out on Brazil's World Cup opener against Switzerland this evening, after sustaining an ankle injury

Manchester United's new midfield signing Fred is set to miss out on Brazil's World Cup opener against Switzerland this evening, after sustaining an ankle injury in training following a robust challenge from Real Madrid man Casemiro.

Speaking to Brazilian outlet O Globo in the build up to the match, via the Express, Brazil boss Tite confirmed that the 25-year-old game would be ruled out of action to face the Swiss, stating: "We have 23 high-level athletes, Fred is not in a position to play."

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Brazil enter the World Cup looking to avenge their humiliation in the 2014 competition that they hosted, where they were unceremoniously dumped out in the semi-finals against Germany, as the eventual competition winners thrashed them 7-1 in their own back yard in the semi-final.

Four years on, Seleção are now the red hot favourites to win the tournament, given their impressive display in the qualification process and their sumptuous selection of technically gifted footballers. Talisman Neymar will be hoping to bounce back from his nightmare 2014 tournament, where a broken back ended his tournament in the quarter-final against Colombia.

As well as Switzerland, Brazil will play matches against Costa Rica and Serbia in what should be a highly competitive group. While the South American nation hold the record for the most World Cup tournament wins (5), they haven't lifted the iconic trophy since 2002, when two goals from footballing legend Ronaldo saw them triumph in Yokohama.

Competition for the trophy is set to be fierce this year, with a number of rivals set to push Brazil to their limits in the pursuit of being named the best team in world football. 2014's winners Germany will be looking to defend their crown, while the likes of France, Belgium and Argentina are all likely to be in with a shout of winning the competition.

Tem craque na área! Veja como foi a visita do @Ronaldo à #SeleçãoBrasileira. Amanhã tem Brasil em campo! #GigantesPorNatureza #Copa2018 pic.twitter.com/5a3gA8aY8b

— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) June 17, 2018

Meanwhile, Belgium have been handed a major boost ahead of their upcoming clash against England, after manager Roberto Martínez claimed that both Thomas Vermaelen and Vincent Kompany should return to full fitness for the game. The match is being seen by many as a potential group decider, and takes place on June 28th.