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Defensive Midfielder - Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Regarded as the best defensive midfielder in world football, Brazil's Casemiro will patrol the area ahead of his team's defence at Copa America 2021.
The midfielder has played a key role in Real Madrid's incredible success under Zinedine Zidane. The Real Madrid midfield of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric is regarded as one of the best midfield trios of the modern generation.
The 29-year old is an aggressive midfielder who is physically strong and technically proficient. Casemiro does not shy away from taking an effort from range, scoring six goals in the league for Real Madrid this season. Barring injuries, Casemiro should be a starter for Brazil at Copa America 2021.
Central Midfielder - Fabinho (Liverpool)
It may be surprising to see Fabinho having only 13 caps for Brazil, given his importance to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool after an excellent spell with AS Monaco.
A strong defensive midfielder, Fabinho is a highly versatile player. The 27-year-old joined Liverpool from AS Monaco in 2018 for £40.5 million. After a slow start to his Liverpool career, he blossomed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League.
Fabinho was utilised as a centre-back for much of the 2020-21 season due to injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. However, it became evident that the Brazilian is key to Liverpool's balance in midfield, so he is likely return to his midfield role next season.
It will be interesting to see how Tite sets up Brazil's midfield at Copa America 2021 and what role Fabinho plays.
Central Midfielder - Lucas Paqueta (Lyon)
Lucas Paqueta was a highly-rated talent during his Flamengo days, so his AC Milan move in January 2019 was seen as an ideal step up in his career.
Paqueta's spell in Italy did not work out as expected, but the 23-year-old has shone for Lyon in the season gone by. The Brazilian joined the Ligue 1 giants from AC Milan for £18 million last summer. He was used in a central midfield role by Lyon, where he impressed with his creativity and defensive prowess. Paqueta subsequently earned a place in Brazil's Copa America 2021 squad.
Paqueta made 27 Ligue 1 starts, scoring nine goals and providing five assists. At Copa America 2021, he will be tasked with providing creativity from midfield, which will be key, given the defensive nature of players like Casemiro, Fabinho and Fred.
Other options: Fred (Manchester United), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo).
Also Read: Copa America 2021: Top 5 Golden Ball contenders.
