United’s three Samba stars – Anderson, Fabio and Rafael – have all missed out on being named in Brazil’s 22-man squad for next month’s Copa America tournament.
None of the Reds are regulars for the Selecao – indeed, neither Rafael nor Fabio have won senior caps yet – although Anderson was included in the preliminary 28-man squad and was named on the bench for Tuesday night's friendly against Romania, which Brazil won 1-0.
Coach Mano Menezes didn’t select the Reds midfielder for his tournament squad, however, although fellow English-based Brazilians David Luiz (Chelsea), Ramires (Chelsea), Lucas Leiva (Liverpool) and Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur) will all travel to Argentina as Brazil seek to defend their Copa America crown.
More: Anderson profile | US Tour 2011