Carlo Ancelotti's Correction: Joao Pedro Returns to Brazil Squad

Carlo Ancelotti has already corrected one glaring World Cup mistake. Michael Carrick may have to follow suit.

The Brazil coach has moved to right a wrong by recalling Chelsea forward Joao Pedro, whose omission from the summer squad looked inexplicable after a superb first season at Stamford Bridge. Brazil’s limp exit in the last 16, combined with Pedro’s electric start to the new Premier League campaign, has forced Ancelotti’s hand. The 22-year-old is back in the Selecao fold for friendlies against Australia at the end of the month.

Neymar is absent, his controversial inclusion at the World Cup now a painful memory rather than a live debate. Matheus Cunha is out as well. The Manchester United attacker impressed in Qatar and shone for Carrick’s side last season, but his form has tailed off badly in his second year at Old Trafford.

Carrick has persisted with Cunha through the middle, mirroring his role with Brazil and much of his debut campaign in Manchester. The experiment is coming under heavy fire.

Scholes leads the criticism

Paul Scholes did not bother to sugar-coat it. Watching United’s win over Everton, he saw a team without a cutting edge and a centre-forward who looked out of place.

“I felt it was really timid against Everton,” Scholes said on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast. “There was no aggression, and Everton were there for the taking. There was so much space, and they never went for the throat.

“The centre-forward position is a bit of an issue because he is not playing Sesko. He is a focal point. It is very difficult to watch a Manchester United team without a centre forward.

“With Cunha, we don’t really know what he is, a No.10 or a wide player but he’s definitely not a No.9 and watching United without a No.9 is a struggle.”

The turning point against Everton underlined his point. Benjamin Sesko, a natural No.9, came off the bench, replaced Cunha and scored. The contrast was stark. The debate, suddenly, feels unavoidable.

Slovenia turns up the volume

If the noise in England is growing, in Slovenia it is deafening.

Leading outlet Ekira delivered a brutal assessment of Cunha’s display, and by extension Carrick’s decision-making. Their verdict left no room for nuance.

‘Sesko flies on the shameful numbers of the Brazilian – fans firmly against Carrick,’ the site declared.

They then tore into Cunha’s performance: ‘He completely failed, showing a catastrophic performance. A total zero. Cunha ended with zero shots on target, zero assists, zero dribbles. He lost the ball 11 times and was beaten in every aerial duel.’

The numbers are ugly. The conclusion from Slovenia is even harsher.

‘But Carrick insisting that Sesko is still more effective on the bench, while the Brazilian plays up front, is driving fans crazy. Sesko has to play from the first minute, they’re yelling.’

For Sesko, the narrative is simple: when he plays, he scores; when he sits, United look blunt. For Cunha, it is suddenly about survival.

Carrick’s selection dilemma

Carrick’s wider attacking picture only tightens the squeeze. Bryan Mbeumo has nailed down the right flank. Marcus Rashford, back on the left at his boyhood club and bristling with intent, looks like a man on a mission.

There is room for one central striker. Not two. Not a compromise.

If Sesko returns to the starting XI, Cunha almost certainly drops out. From losing his Brazil place to facing the prospect of the United bench, the 27-year-old is staring at a bruising 48 hours for both club and country.

United head into their Champions League clash with Sabah on Thursday night needing clarity and conviction in attack. Ancelotti has already made his call with Brazil. Now the question hangs over Old Trafford: will Carrick be just as ruthless?