He is one of most highly rated young attacking midfielders in Brazilian football, but Arsenal linked Matheus Índio is set to be used in a more defensive role for Brazil Under-17s come next month"s South American championship.
As Brazil Under-17 coach Alexandre Gallo looks to make best use of the talent available to him, he has attempted to utilise Vasco-owned Matheus as a deep-lying playmaker in warm-up fixtures—a role the youngster has adapted well to.
It seems likely that, come the tournament, he will form a midfield trio along side São Paulo owned Gustavo Hebling and Gabriel Boschilia.
The former, a defensive midfielder, is set to anchor the midfield while much discussed Boschilia will play closest to the attacking trio in the chosen 4-3-3 formation.
"We identified that, as an attacking midfielder, he [Matheus] received the ball a lot with his back to goal," coach Gallo told Terra. "He has the talent to play facing forward, he has good stamina and he has adapted very well."
In the role of segundo volante, Indio will be expected to play as a box-to-box midfielder with a role at both ends of the pitch. It is a significant change for the youngster who spent time training with Arsenal in January, but one he has impressed in so far.
Source: Terra
