Attacking midfielder Kaka will be encouraged to be himself if he is chosen to make his international return following an 11-month absence, Brazil coach Dunga has revealed. The 26-year-old has suffered a series of nagging injury problems this year, forcing him to miss all of the Seleção's 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifiers in 2008.
"We all want to be able to count on Kaka but unfortunately he has been out for a while because of injury," Dunga told reporters at the national team's training camp in the mountain resort of Teresopolis, ahead of Sunday's match away to Venezuela.
"I hope that Kaka will be Kaka, nothing more than that. I haven't had to speak to him because we don't have any problem," he added when asked if he had had a private conversation with the player.
Brazil badly need a win to lift pressure after a poor run of results, culminating in a goalless draw at home to struggling Bolivia last month. The five-time world champions, the only team to have played at every FIFA World Cup, are second in the ten-team South American qualifying group, which reaches the halfway mark at the weekend.
They have slipped four points behind leaders Paraguay and, with three teams sitting just behind them, could quickly drop down the table if they fail to win in San Cristobal. Brazil will be without striker Luis Fabiano through injury, while midfielder Diego is suspended and Ronaldinho has been dropped.
"The fact that we can't keep the same team complicates things," said Dunga. "We have to try and keep the same side for four or five games."
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